Inscribed in the Blade
by raindrops260
Summary: All for revenge. She is shrouded in lies and vengeance. He is calloused by anger and pride. Two enemies sworn to hate from birth are born into a torn Japan teetering on the edge of civil war. No matter how you look at it, this equation spells trouble.
1. Fall From Grace

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to nara-chan for becoming my BETA and taking a look at this chapter- you are amazing.**

**Surprise, surprise. If anyone read the original fanfiction **_**Samurai Secrets**_**, this is its revised version, and even though my pen name is now changed, this is AnimeObsession260 again. **

**The story has undergone some severe editing and revision, and much of the plot line… if not the entire story, has been changed, but I've retained some of my favorite moments from **_**Samurai Secrets**_**. I hope that you will all be able to enjoy this as much as you did the original. **

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter One**

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Sakura awoke to the sounds of heavy footsteps and a loud crash. Her heart pounding loudly in her ears, emerald eyes squinted into the darkness of the room, trying to adjust to the lack of light. Something seemed off… something wasn't right. Her mind was strangely clear, despite the fact that she had just woken from a deep slumber. An ominous feeling of dread crept over her, and Sakura took a deep breath, steeling herself for… for _something_ – she just didn't know _what_, at least not yet.

A high-pitched scream sliced through the unsettling silence, and her suspicions were confirmed. Sakura broke out into a cold sweat as her mind registered a horrible reality. That scream had belonged to her mother. It was her mother's voice. _Okaa-sama…_

She sat up quickly, and her left arm shot out from beneath the covers to the side of her futon, fumbling for matches to light her candle.

Where… _where were her flints?_

Another choked shriek shook through the rice paper walls of her home, and Sakura's heart leapt within her chest. There was no time. Scrambling from her bed, she stood shakily and with trembling fingers pulled the folds of her yukata closer around her. She would simply have to do without light.

Her breathing was irregular and panicked as she raced down the dark halls of her home, and somewhere in the back of her mind, Sakura numbly noted that it was far too quiet. Surely some of the servants had heard her mother's scream? But then where was everybody?

It was with a sudden jolt that Sakura realized that she was scared… no, terrified - more terrified than she had ever been her entire life, and as she finally came to a stop in front of her parents' room, she found herself unsure of what to do.

There was a dim light coming from the other side of the paper-thin door, and with trembling hands, she pulled the shoji door open.

Her emerald eyes widened. A dark figure stood in the center of the room, its back to her. But at the sound of her gasp, it turned around, and their eyes met. It was as if the air around his face was on fire… but it was only the light from the lamp's reflection. His features were illuminated in a haunting, red glow, and Sakura knew that she would never forget the man's face.

His eyes were a deep, wooden brown, his eyelashes were dark and full, and a long scar ran from the outer edge of his left eye to his upper lip, forcing his mouth into a perpetual sneer. Sakura would later think back on this moment with bitter irony. Her first impression of the shadowed figure was that, other than that jagged scar, the man was singularly handsome.

Then, almost as if gravity had intensified only on the spot where she was standing, her head and gaze fell to the floor with rapid speed. Two bodies… her father… her mother… were on the floor; a dark liquid pooled from under them, slowly growing with each passing second.

Sakura screamed.

As if her voice had been the trigger, the scar-faced man moved towards her with sudden swiftness, his sword drawn. Time seemed to stand still, and she could hear nothing but the fast, loud beating of her heart, pulsing in her ears. He lifted the blade high into the air and Sakura could only watch, frozen in fear, as death itself swung down upon her.

She fell into a heap on the ground as a loud clang resounded above her. It was several seconds before Sakura realized that it was her manservant, Kousaka, who had saved her life. He had pushed her out of the way, and was now engaging the scar-faced man in a duel. With a terrible, cold sort of horror she realized her servant was the weaker of the two.

Sakura looked around the room frantically before her eyes finally fell upon the sword her father held in his hand. She crawled past both men, praying that their enemy wouldn't notice, to her father's side. Her heart, which had been pounding so loudly that Sakura could hear nothing else, suddenly dropped to her stomach as she pulled the weapon from her father's fingers. His skin had been so cold.

The sword felt heavier than usual in her hand, but Sakura moved so quickly she didn't have time to think… she _couldn't_ think. If she thought about what was happening… if reality sank in… Sakura forced all thought out of her head.

Her manservant had been cut down, and was lying on the floor, bleeding profusely. The scar-faced man was advancing over his body with frightening calmness, his sword raised against Kousaka's fallen figure in the same way it had been raised against her only a while ago. How long ago had it been? Minutes? Seconds?

The man hadn't noticed her walking up behind him. Sakura's muscles moved with a practiced fluidity and certainty that surprised even herself. She slashed blindly at the man's hand, and his sword clattered to the ground. Blood squirted onto her face, and then he let out a terrible scream. She had cut off his middle finger.

His eyes stared at her, and she stared back… they both stared with a sort of mixed horror. The scar-faced man moved towards her menacingly, but the sound of servants' yelling and pounding footsteps stopped his movements. His eyes filled with fury, and the last thing Sakura remembered before losing consciousness was his cruel sneer twisting into a sick smile, and his whispered promise to her.

"**I will kill you.**"

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**I hope you all enjoyed my opening chapter. As those who have read **_**Samurai Secrets**_** have probably realized by now, this story is going to be **_**very**_** different from my original fanfiction, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. **

**I think I'm going to try my hand at a more complicated plot. Wish me luck everyone!**

**Once again, thank you to nara-chan for being amazing. xD**

**Please review. **


	2. The Journey Begins

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Yay again to Nara-chan for another wonderfully edited chapter! You are my superhero… because I know these long chapters are SUCH a pain to have to edit.**

**Okay, one quick correction for those of you who read my first chapter before the changes were made. Yue is **_**not**_** Sakura's manservant anymore! XD I moved him into a much more suitable role in the story, so you'll definitely see the reappearance of our wonderful silver-eyed guardian again later. **

**I hope you were all looking forwards to this chapter! And now, without further ado… chapter two. **

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Two**

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Japan was in an age of tension and uncertainty. The nation was split in two, with the center of Honshu as the dividing line between the North and the South. Nobility on either side of the barrier had always been at odds, but within the past two decades, disagreements had erupted, armed forces had been raised up, and rumors of civil war spread like wildfire, bringing with them both fear and death.

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Sakura's eyes stared at her reflection in the blade with hatred – a feeling, she realized now, that she had never felt before. She had been raised a loved and protected child, had never known what it was to truly hate, had never known what it was to yearn for someone's death so much that it burned. But then _he _had come. _He_ had dropped and left his sword that night. Inscribed on the hilt was the Northern emblem… more specifically the _Academy_'s insignia. Her one and only clue as to who he was, it was with this sword that the scar-faced man had killed her parents, and it was with this sword that he had tried to kill _her_.

"Not if I kill you first," she whispered.

It had taken several nights of deep thought and tears, but in the end she had made her decision.

"Sakura-sama. Can I say nothing to change your mind?" Kousaka's gentle eyes bored into his mistress' back with great intensity. "Fujitaka-sama and Nadeshiko-sama would not have wanted this for their only daughter."

"Kousaka," Sakura said as she slid the sword back into its sheath. "I will never know what they wanted, because they are now dead. If the North sent assassins to our home, then it means that they have already realized that Onii-chan is a spy. I will not deny that what I plan to do I do for revenge. However, even if I do not care to avenge Otou-sama and Okaa-sama, I still have to see if Touya-niichan is alive. If he _is_ still trapped in the North, then I must bring him back."

Kousaka hesitated for a moment before grasping her shoulder and turning her around. "It is not right for you to have such thoughts, Sakura-sama. Now that your parents are gone I am your guardian. I had hoped to protect your happiness and innocence. Where has all your cheerfulness gone?"

Sakura smiled softly at her loyal servant. "It has not gone anywhere," she said quietly. "Only, I have a duty to complete now. You saved my life that night. You have already protected me."

"I am not protecting you by sending you out into danger, Sakura-sama," he sighed bitterly. "If you must go, then at the very least, please allow me to accompany you. How could I ever let you travel by yourself into enemy territory–"

"But if you were to come with me, who would care for the estate during my absence?" Sakura smiled reassuringly at him. "Do not worry about me. You know that I can take care of myself… and my sword skills are second only to father's. Otou-sama trained me himself. I will have no trouble blending in as just another one of the students at the Academy. Besides," she added as an afterthought. "I'm not going on my own. I'm taking Kero-chan with me."

Her manservant, now the estate steward, flinched visibly. "That horse," he mumbled darkly under his breath. "Is an abomination. At least take a _reliable_ steed with you, Sakura-sama."

Kero was a magnificent stallion, with a soft, hazelnut colored coat and a long white mane. He had been given to Sakura for her twelfth birthday, and the two were inseparable. Other than his young rider, Kero had never allowed another person safely onto his back.

Sakura laughed. The maids busy loading luggage onto her horse stopped their work and looked up in surprise, and a relieved grin broke out onto Kousaka's face. It was the first time since her parents' deaths that the young mistress had laughed. They had all missed the cheerful sound of her gaiety.

"Oh please Kousaka, you aren't still bitter that Kero-chan managed to throw you off his back that one time? You know he's rough with everyone but me, but he's a _very_ fine horse," she said, giggling.

"Must you go so soon? The funeral was not two weeks ago," he murmured, attempting one last time to convince her to stay.

Sakura's breath hitched in her throat, but she steeled herself to remain calm. Sighing, she took his larger hands into her own small ones. "I know what I am doing is reckless, Kousaka. But I have already decided to go… and you know as well as I do that if I do not depart now, I will not make it to the North by the end of Autumn, and that is when most of those Northern aristocratic fools send their sons to the Academy. I will already be fashionably late as it is. Since we live so close to the dividing border, it was easy enough to procure a false identity from one of Onii-chan's old friends, but I can't take any chances if this is going to be a success.

"You realize this as well as I do. Now," Sakura took hold of Kero's bridle and swung up onto the large horse's back. "Remember that all of your letters to me must be sent by boat all the way _around_ the border, and then to the academy. And always address me as Kino Kura-sama. Understand?"

The steward opened his mouth as if to protest, but with one stern look from his mistress, he swallowed his words. "Be safe, Sakura-sama," he said, reaching up and giving her hand a firm squeeze.

"You know I will … I will successfully enter their ranks, and I will have my vengeance. Then I will return, bringing the rightful Lord of this manor back safely to his home. Do not be worried," she whispered bravely to Kousaka before raising her voice to address the rest of her household. "In my absence I entrust all of you with the care of this home… and because this is my home, I will definitely return. I place my faith in you all."

The servants and maids all bowed low, and some of the younger children had tears in their eyes.

"Stay safe Sakura-sama!"

"Hurry back Sakura-neechan!"

"WAAHHHHHHHHHHH!! Don't go!!"

She gave them all a sad smile and waved before bending over and whispering into Kero's ear, "Let's go now."

As if sensing her need to hurry away before her will faltered, Kero neighed loudly and galloped out of the estate, past the somber looking guards at the gate, beyond the outer gardens of her home, and finally out onto the dirt path that would lead her to the North-South barrier.

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As nearly everyone in the surrounding villages could recognize her, Sakura's transformation would have to wait until she was fairly close to her destination. She had a cloak draped around her shoulders and a hood covering her head, but Kero was a very noticeable and very recognizable horse, so the two of them rode long and hard before stopping to rest.

Sakura paused for the night at a small but decent-looking inn. After situating Kero snugly into a warm stable, wiping the lather from his sweat down, and grooming her beautiful horse, she went into the building with her cloak still up, giving instructions to the innkeeper to bring a warm basin of water into her room.

After washing her face and clearing her head a bit, Sakura sat down on her futon. This was it… she had already begun her journey.

"Can I really do this?" she whispered to herself. If it wasn't for the fierce burn of hate in her chest pressing her forward, Sakura knew that she would never have had enough courage for such a reckless venture.

Crossing over into enemy grounds disguised as the son of a Northern aristocrat, and joining their elite military academy. And all of this to take revenge on her parents' murderer. Sakura guessed that it would take at least a week to arrive at the Academy. The false identity Touya's connection had given to her was that of the son of a high-ranking duke in the North. A very obscure and very eccentric duke… who happened to be a spy from the South. His "son's" birthday was at the beginning of the following week.

"Kino Kura. Born on the twenty-fifth of September in the eighty-seventh year of our old emperor's kingdom. Nothing much else is known about him huh… Hopefully the people at the Academy won't know too much about the Kino family," she murmured to herself.

Sakura unwrapped the parcel she had brought in with her by the small table and drew out a small knife and mirror. Staring at her reflection, she took a few minutes admiring her long, silky auburn hair, and a sad frown marred her otherwise beautiful features as she fingered her tresses sadly. Samurai could indeed keep their hair long… but the stylish cut Sakura had maintained for so many years would have to go.

She sighed unhappily. Her appearance would be far too girly if she didn't do _something_ with her hair.

"I just have to get over it," she murmured to herself.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura raised the edge of the knife to her hair… and cut. She stared at her reflection with dismay, but the first snip had been the hardest. For the next five minutes, Sakura cut away and trimmed her auburn hair until it fell just beneath her shoulders and its bangs had straightened out.

Sakura frowned at her reflection, but it was the best she could do. Her skin was still too pale and her hands and face too soft to _truly_ be masculine, but hopefully the rest of her journey North would bring a roughness to her features that life as a noble lady in the South had spared her. She traced the outline of her face in the mirror quietly, and all of a sudden a lump rose in her throat. _This was really happening._

Her father and mother were both dead, and it was quite likely that Touya had already been killed as well. Images of her parents' bodies bloodied on the floor rushed into her mind, along with scenes from their somber funeral. It had seemed so surreal at the time.

"Let's see…" Sakura coughed loudly, forcing her spirits back up and turning again to her parcel. Out from within its white folds she pulled out a light green gi and a black hakama. Quickly stripping out of her riding kimono, Sakura bound her chest flat with bandages and donned the samurai attire. The simple gi and hakama would do for while she was traveling. Kousaka had advised that she save the nicer clothes for when she arrived in the North.

Before, she'd always despaired that her chest was hopelessly small, but now it was, perhaps, a blessing. And although Sakura had always been grateful she was so petite, her small size hurt her overall "masculine" image. But there was nothing she could do to change either aspect of her appearance.

She looked at her reflection again, inspecting her disguise. "Hm… I suppose I'll pass for a rather girly male. I ought to wear darker colors… perhaps I won't look as soft in dark green instead." Sakura tied her hair up in a high ponytail and cleared her throat. If she was going to start practicing being a boy, now was as good a time as ever to begin.

Sakura feigned confidence and an air of importance as she stepped out of her room and into the foyer. She gave the innkeeper a gruff nod as she walked out of the building with a katana strapped to her side. Behind her, she could hear the innkeeper lady whisper to one of the maids "I could have sworn that that guest was a girl… but goodness that boy is _pretty_. And look, Ayumi-chan, he's gone to practice his swordplay. You ought to go watch. That's _nobility_ you know… maybe he'll take a fancy to you."

Sakura cringed as the woman's throaty laughter followed her out of the inn and into the night air.

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**Well, I hope you all enjoyed that. From now on I'm going to leave the English translations of Japanese words I may have used in the chapter at the bottom. So if you're confused you know where to look!**

**Please review!**

Otou-sama: honored father

Okaa-sama: honored mother

Onii-chan: older brother

katana: Japanese sword

gi: loose, top garment in samurai attire

hakama: loose, bottom garment in samurai attire


	3. Enter Into the Academy

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Hey everyone, here I am again. Thank you to everyone who decided to take the time to review, some of the comments you all left me were very nice. =D**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well. **

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Three**

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Sweat matted her brow as she drank greedily from the cool river. Smiling tiredly, Sakura absentmindedly patted her steed fondly as he, too, gulped up water. She and Kero had traveled far in just five days; they were already in the forest separating the South from the North. They could easily reach the Academy by nightfall if they pressed hard, but Sakura decided that it would be much more agreeable to both rider and horse if they both indulged in a good night of rest.

"Just a little farther, Kero-chan," Sakura cooed to her horse. "We'll be in the first Northern village in a few hours… though we'd probably do our best to remain discreet, okay boy?" Kero flipped his watery mane at her, getting her clothes rather wet, but the droplets felt cool against her burning skin. Sakura laughed. "That feels good!" she giggled as she reseated herself on her horse's back. "But goodness… who would have thought that there could be such a hot day in autumn?"

"Yes, it does seem strange doesn't it? But then, the Earth is not limited by seasons, even if it prefers to follow a regular pattern. I dare say that if it wants to give us an unreasonably hot afternoon in fall, it will do so without asking for our consent."

Sakura whipped her sword out with lightening speed and turned around. "Who is it? Come out!" She demanded, quickly lowering her voice to sound more masculine. It was a good thing she had donned her disguise _before_ crossing into the border.

Out from behind a sturdy-looking tree, a boy with stunning sapphire eyes smiled good-naturedly at her. "Whoa, whoa. I apologize," he flourished a bow. "I didn't mean to startle you. I was actually here before you were… I think, but I seem to have dozed off."

She eyed him suspiciously, a feeling a dread growing in her chest. How much of her ramblings had he heard? "Whose side are you from?" Sakura questioned, not sheathing her weapon. "What's your name?"

"Well now, it's rather rude to ask someone's name without giving yours first you know," but the boy didn't seem upset at all as he stood up and patted the dust off from his hakama. "My name is Hiiragizawa Eriol, from the Northern Hiiragizawa Clan, of course. And I can see from the emblem on your sword that you're a Northerner as well. So put away your weapon."

Sakura thanked kami that she had remembered to replace all her Southern crests with Northern crests. Now, she just wasn't sure whether to be relieved or panicked that she had already run into a Northerner… and a nobleman at that. There was a large chance that this boy probably attended the Academy as well.

"I… apologize," she hesitantly lowered her katana. "My name is Kino Kura…my father is a duke farther up North… but what're you doing so deep in the forest, Hiiragizawa…san?"

"I could ask you the same question, Kino-san. What's a nobleman's son from so far up North doing so close to the South? If I remember correctly, the Kino residence is on the other side of Hiroshima," the boy smiled at her genially. "To answer your question, however, I am attending the Academy, which is nearby. Since entrance for the newest class takes place tomorrow, most students have the day off today. I was just exploring the woods when I fell asleep."

She was sweating. He knew of the Duke's family.

"I…" Sakura's heart pounded. A lie, she needed to think of a lie. "I got lost!" she blurted out, red faced and embarrassed… or at least that's how she hoped she appeared. "I've never traveled much before, and so I must have ridden right past the Academy without realizing it. It wasn't until I was fairly deep into this forest that I realized I must already be at the border. I feel kind of foolish now for refusing to take my manservant with me. I wanted to feel independent… now I just feel silly. I'm…" Sakura stared hesitantly at the sapphire-eyed student. "I'm one of those new students joining the Academy tomorrow."

Sakura's fists unconsciously tightened on the reins, as she prayed desperately for him to buy her story. It was plausible enough wasn't it? Silly nobleman's son got lost… it wasn't unheard of…

They boy scrutinized her, and she scrutinized him. For one fleeting, terrified moment, Sakura was sure that he did not believe her, but her new acquaintance merely smiled and shrugged.

"Then I suppose this is your lucky day. I'll take you to the Academy," he said before whistling loudly. Out from behind some trees, a large red horse came forward, and nuzzled Eriol on the cheek. "Ruby, are you ready to go home?"

Sakura stared at the large horse. Ruby… was an impressive chestnut-colored mare with a white star on its forehead. For the first time, she realized how careless she had been. If the boy had been a bandit, he could have been calling for his friends to come attack her. At least, she thought, he hadn't been lying to her about being a noble. There was no way that horse could belong to anyone poor.

"Um… thanks," Sakura said shyly as Eriol swung up onto his horse. It seemed she was safe, if only for the moment. And even better, this way, her arrival at the Academy would seem much more formal… with Eriol by her side, it would look as if she had someone to vouch for her. Her only regret was that she wouldn't be able to stop in the village for the night and ask around for some local news. This would take more improvisation.

"Ah, don't worry about it. It's about time I started heading back anyway. If Yelan-sama found out I was this far away from the Academy, she'd kill me," he said to her, laughing as they rode out of the forest. "Don't tell on me, yeah?"

She smiled back at him. "I won't as long as you promise not to tell the other guys that I got lost on my way there. By the way, who's Yelan-sama?"

Eriol's keen, sapphire eyes sharpened on her. "Yelan-sama is the mistress of the Academy… didn't you know?"

Sakura panicked. "W… wasn't the name of the Academy's mistress Li?"

"Oh. Yes, yes it is," her companion relaxed. "I forget that most people do not know Yelan-sama by her first name. I am a good friend of her son, Li Syaoran."

"Li Syaoran… Li Yelan-sama… I see," Sakura said slowly to herself.

She didn't notice that, as they rode on, past the woods and into the town, that Eriol continued to throw furtive looks her way out of the corner of his eye.

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"This is it," Eriol said as they reached a huge gate. There were guards surrounding the entire estate, which was enormous. Sakura now knew why Eriol had seemed suspicious of her story. It would take a blind man to miss something so huge and impressive. It also made her wonder how Eriol managed to escape Academy grounds for his day off. The men manning the entrance looked rather intimidating.

"Wow… I must have ridden farther west than I thought. This is kind of hard to miss, huh?" Sakura attempted a smile, which her companion returned cordially. One thing she had discovered about Eriol during their short trip was that he was not only extremely polite, but also extremely intelligent and unfortunately, sharp.

"Open up the gates," Eriol commanded the guards. "I'm bringing in a new student." They seemed to recognize him as they moved to obey his command quickly, and bowed the two of them in.

As the gates behind them closed, Sakura felt a lump rise in her throat. Now she was trapped in enemy territory whether she wanted to be or not. There was no turning back. Clearing her throat gruffly, she managed a half-hearted whistle. "This place is pretty amazing, eh? Thanks for bringing me here, Hiiragizawa-san."

"Call me Eriol, without suffixes, please. We've been riding around together in scorching hot weather for at least four hours now. We're already friends," he said amiably. "Oh, this is Kinosuke-san, the man in charge of the stables. Leave your horse with him. Don't worry, he'll take good care of Kero, and he'll send your belongings over later."

The two of them dismounted, and it was with a nervous, heavy heart that Sakura watched her horse being led away. Her trusted companion wasn't by her side anymore… at least Eriol seemed nice enough, even though he was suspicious of her.

"Thanks Eriol. You can call me by my first name too. You really saved me today," she said as he began walking in the direction of a large, Japanese house.

"Kura-san then. Don't mention it. I'm going to take you straight to Yelan-sama, the main dojo is over that way" –he pointed- "but your situation is a bit unique. To be honest, I know that most newcomers "officially" join tomorrow, but most arrive a week in advance. You're pretty late as it is."

Sakura mumbled, "lost" under her breath, and he laughed. "I'm not blaming you or anything, but most of the rooms have already been assigned… and to be honest, you're a bit old to be joining the Academy _now_ aren't you? How old are you anyway?"

"I'll be sixteen tomorrow," she answered automatically. The few facts about her identity she had reviewed over and over in her mind until she was sure she would never forget them. Her _real_ sixteenth birthday took place in the following spring… but that didn't really matter right now.

"Ah, well. Most boys come here when they're eleven or twelve, so you'll probably be the only new student your age. But still… sixteen, that's not too bad. You still have four years with us before you become of age…" Eriol looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "May I ask why your family waited so long before sending you here?"

_A/N: In Japan, boys and girls come "of age" when they are twenty. They even have a special term for "twenty years old" – "hatachi". _

Luckily for her, this time Sakura had her story planned. "Well, you know where my family lives… so you've probably heard a thing or two about my father as well," she began. "Most people call him a crazy old Duke… and I must admit, Otou-sama is a _bit_ eccentric. To be perfectly honest, I think he completely forgot about the rest of the world until just a month ago. He came out of his fog long enough to enroll me at least."

"Nothing you can do about eccentric fathers. But anyways, I'll pop by to wish you a happy birthday tomorrow, good luck," Eriol grinned at her as the large shoji door opened and a servant bowed her into the building. "I better not go see Yelan-sama just in case she noticed I wasn't on Academy grounds today."

Perhaps she looked a bit forlorn and unsure as the door began to slide shut, because Eriol's arm shot out and he grasped her shoulder reassuringly before it shut. "Hey don't worry," he said, giving her one last smile. "Don't mind what rumors you've heard about Yelan-sama being very strict, they're very true… but she's a good person!" And with that, he disappeared from her line of sight.

"This way please, Kino-sama," the servant girl bowed and began leading Sakura down the hall. "Yelan-sama has been expecting you."

"Thank you," Sakura was dismayed to find that she didn't sound as confident as she would have liked. But there was no turning back now.

After what seemed to be a full five minutes of walking… the building was _big_, the servant girl bowed her into a large, magnificent room filled with Chinese-looking ornaments and furniture. Sakura was mildly surprised. She had heard rumors that the Li Clan had originated in China, but she had never paid them any attention.

"Li-sama," she bowed respectfully to the woman sitting on a large, redwood chair covered in gold-plated carvings. It looked like a throne. "I'm sorry to have arrived so late, I met with some difficulties on my journey."

To her surprise, the elegant, regal looking woman actually stood up and walked over until she was in front of Sakura. Two long, pale fingers pressed her chin upwards until Sakura's emerald eyes were staring into Yelan's black ones.

"You remind me of someone I once knew… but your eyes are not at all like your father, the Duke," she said. Sakura felt chills go up her spine as the mistress of the Academy spoke. She was not speaking hostilely, but something in the way this woman spoke and carried herself demanded respect... almost fear.

"I… I'm told I look a bit like my second aunt, Li-sama…" Sakura stuttered through her lie. The moment the words left her lips, she wanted to smack herself in the face. What if Yelan-sama knew what the _real_ Kino Kura's second aunt looked like?

"I see," the tall Chinese woman withdrew and returned to her chair. "I am sorry to hear that you had problems on your journey. It is good that you are here now, safely… though it is regrettable, since all of the rooms in the main dojo are now occupied. Some last minute pupils from the local nobility showed up earlier this week."

Now that she was farther than simply a few inches from Yelan-sama's face, and had released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, Sakura could see the Academy mistress' face clearly. Sakura swallowed. Li Yelan was _beautiful_. Her skin was soft and pale, and her lips were full and red. She looked the picture of a Chinese queen. Sakura was properly awed.

"I… I see…" she managed to whisper.

"Keiko," Yelan said, and Sakura was startled to find that there was a servant standing in the back corner of the room. "Bring Kino-san to Syaoran's dojo, and see to it that his luggage is taken there as well."

Yelan turned to the small table next to her chair and immediately picked up a brush, and began writing in rapid, smooth calligraphy on a white piece of parchment. "I have no choice other than to have you live in a separate dojo together with my son until a room can be arranged for you. Give him this letter and he will understand." She finished writing and held out the folded piece of paper to Sakura.

She took it and bowed low before following the servant girl out of the room. As soon as she stepped out of Yelan's quarters and into the cool night air, Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. The mistress of the Academy was indeed powerful… it made her nervous lying to such an imperial woman. Hopefully this meant that the most difficult step of her journey had passed.

"This way please, Kino-sama."

Sakura followed the servant down to the left, in the opposite direction of the main dojo Eriol had pointed out earlier. The estate was huge… and the servant girl, Keiko, was leading her through many small paths cluttered on either side by more towering buildings. Sakura hoped that she would be able to find her way around in the morning. Maybe Yelan-sama's son, Syaoran, would help her.

When they reached a small dojo on the top of a hill overlooking a large Sakura tree-filled valley, it was empty. The servant looked a bit puzzled, but led Sakura into the building. "This is your room, Kino-sama. I'll have your belongings brought here presently."

Sakura looked around the room. It was a rather nice room… about ten mats long and ten mats wide. There was no furniture other than a pretty-looking low, mahogany table in the center of the room and a matching dresser standing against the back wall. When the servant returned, she returned not only with Sakura's belongings, but also with a fresh futon and thick blanket.

At Sakura's request, Keiko simply put everything in the corner to let Sakura unpack herself.

Sakura looked around her tiredly. She _could_ start unpacking all of her clothes into the dresser… and she _could_ change clothes and comb her hair… but she was surprised to find that her eyelids were quickly becoming extremely heavy.

She had… been scared and nervous many times today. First with Eriol popping up out of nowhere and questioning her… and meeting Yelan-sama shook her quite a bit. Sakura barely had time to lay out the futon before she was fast asleep, long having forgotten that she was supposed to give a letter to the only other resident of the small dojo.

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**Well, how was it? I hope you all enjoyed Sakura's grand um… arrival to the Academy. Her wonderful meeting with Syaoran will have to wait until the next chapter though!**

**Please review!**

kami: God

hatachi: twenty years old (when Japanese people come of age)


	4. To Meet Him

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Thanks for all the reviews guys! They're the only reason I force myself out of my bed and to the computer to type up new chapters. I seem to be updating within fairly reasonable time spans so far… I hope this'll continue! XD**

**Well, enjoy the story!**

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Four**

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"Get up," a deep voice snarled. "What are you, a rock? If you want to keep your head, get up!"

Sakura opened her emerald eyes slowly. Honestly, whoever was waking her would have to wait; she felt too warm, too happy, and too comfy to slip out of her cozy slumber. For some reason, her body ached in places that didn't usually ache, and the soft blanket against her hand was so soothing. A small grunt escaped her lips. That's right, she'd been traveling up North, hadn't she? For the first time in a week she was sleeping in a proper futon… With that thought in mind, Sakura snuggled deeper into the covers, ignoring whoever it was that had come to call her. The Academy could wait.

… Academy...

Her eyes shot wide open, and she would have jumped out of bed, but the cold tip of a blade was pressed against the top of her nose. Sakura took a deep breath and looked up at the boy standing above her.

He was tall… or perhaps he simply looked tall because she was lying on the floor. Sakura looked at his face and she swallowed a scream. There was no jagged scar running down his cheek… but those were most definitely the eyes of the man who had murdered her parents. The owner of those eyes had failed to kill her before… would the sword pointed to her face finish the deed today? Sakura fought to keep calm.

There was no way… just because they had the same eyes. The fog of sleep lifted completely from her mind as Sakura struggled to focus. This boy appeared younger… his features were not as rough as the scar-faced man, but still strong… defined. He… he…

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and then smacked herself on the face. This boy was probably Yelan-sama's son.

"So you're finally awake. It's about time," he muttered, staring coldly down at her. "Now answer me. Who are you and why are you in my dojo?" The tip of his blade didn't move.

"I'm…" Sakura gulped. "I'm a new student at the Academy. Since I arrived late, Li-sama… your mother, told me that I would have to stay in her son's dojo until they could prepare a room for me. You… would be the son, Li Syaoran-san?"

Syaoran's eyes narrowed, but he sheathed his sword and allowed the fumbling new student to stand up. His deep brown eyes watched as the auburn-haired boy nervously twitched the loose folds of his gi closed, and pulled out a white letter.

"From your mother, Li-san," Sakura murmured.

Frowning, Syaoran ripped the envelope open and read his mother's message quickly. "How troublesome," he muttered upon finishing. "You. Stand up straight."

Syaoran looked over the newcomer appraisingly. He could be summed up in three words: short, skinny, and feminine. Yelan's son was indifferent. This Kino Kura had no muscles and his expression lacked intelligence, though, Syaoran admitted, the latter could be due to the fact that he'd just tumbled out of bed.

"Learn to stay out of my way, and whatever short span of time you'll be spending under this roof ought to be fairly painless. Do not make noise. Do not touch my belongings. This is and will always be the only room you may mind your own business in," Syaoran informed the new student coldly. "You know the way out? I'd head that direction soon, breakfast is almost over."

Sparing Sakura only one more irritated glare, he left her alone in the room.

As soon as she heard the shoji door slide shut, Sakura sat shakily back onto her futon. Not twenty-four hours at the Academy and she had already received her first death threat? And why… _why_ did that boy look so much like the scar-faced man. His eyes… She shook her head. Now was not the time to be thinking about that!

"Did he say breakfast is almost over??!" she screeched and quickly ran around the room getting ready.

On the other side of the wall, Syaoran leaned silently against the door, listening to his new housemate's antics. The boy was a weird one for sure… and very girly. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen such a soft face on a boy before. Syaoran glared wordlessly at the wall in front of him. His mother always had a way of pushing more and more meaningless things on him. Glaring at Kino's room one last time, he walked down the hall and out of the dojo.

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"Whoa, whoa! Slow down! If you eat that fast you'll get sick later, and trust me, you're going to _need_ a stable stomach for later," Eriol laughed as Sakura crammed her mouth full of steamed rice. "Hey, hey… slow down I said! Look, you've made such a mess." Smiling, Sakura's new sapphire-eyed friend brushed a grain of rice off of the corner of her mouth.

Sakura felt a blush rise to her cheeks, but she shook it off quickly. "Ah… I was just in a rush because Li-san said that I was going to be late," she said, laughing. It was a good thing she had bumped into Eriol on the way out of her dojo, or else she would have been hopelessly lost trying to find the main hall.

"Ne… Eriol, what exactly am I supposed to do?" she asked.

"What do you mean, what are you supposed to do? Didn't they explain it to everyone in the dorms yesterday? You should have been paying attention!" he chided.

"But I don't live in the dorms! My room is over in Li-san's dojo, remember?" Sakura explained. "That's why I was late this morning."

"Ahh, I see. That's what you were talking about. By 'Li-san' you meant Syaoran? Haha, you're going to have great fun getting to know him," Eriol grinned. "On second thought, you probably won't want to get to know him. It might be better that way… not everyone can get along with him, you know? I'm one of the only few. You must have had quite the conversation with him last night. Don't take his attitude personally, he's just like that."

"Not last night… this morning. I woke up with a katana in my face," she swallowed her last hasty gulp of rice quickly. "Is he _always_ this mad at… everything?"

Her sapphire-eyed companion frowned thoughtfully. "Well, he's really a very nice guy… slightly disturbed though."

Sakura wasn't sure whether she felt like laughing or grimacing. Her face settled for something in-between and Eriol laughed. "Yeah, I know how you feel," he said.

A large gong sounded at the front of the hall, and immediately all the students began shuffling around, moving toward their classes. Sakura started panicking and looked up at Eriol with pleading eyes.

"Don't worry, don't worry," Eriol laughed, leading her out of the main hall out towards an entirely different building. "Classes are arranged by age so you'll be with me. Speaking of age… happy birthday, by the way. Sixteen now, right?"

"Yes…" Sakura said as relief washed over her. Eriol would be able to accompany her around the Academy grounds then.

"If I were you, I wouldn't let anyone know about it. The teachers have a habit of being particularly hard on birthday boys. Something about the older we get, the more we should be able to take," he advised, herding her into the dojo. "But happy birthday anyways."

Sakura laughed uneasily as they settled into kneeling positions at the back of the room, "Survival tactics already?" Eriol simply made shushing motions, and Sakura immediately fell silent. The rest of the students had begun to sit around them, none of them talking and only a few of them smiling. She saw a few boys making room for someone at the front, and to her surprise, Syaoran sat in the center spot the others had vacated only moments ago.

The rustling had long settled down, and the only sound came from Eriol, who called over to him, "Ohayou, Syaoran!" Syaoran's response was a simple nod, and Sakura thought she might have heard a low grunt, but she hadn't expected much else from him.

Footsteps could be heard, and a tall, well-built man with silvery hair and light gray eyes strode into the room. Immediately, everyone around her stiffened, and sat up straighter, their eyes focused on the man Sakura assumed to be the teacher.

A deep chorus of "Ohayou gozaimasu Yue-sensei," made Sakura suddenly feel a lot more nervous than before. _What an intense atmosphere…_

The teacher, Yue, looked over all of them had nodded. "It seems we have a new student today. Stand."

Her heart dropped to her stomach. This was it… _Please let it go well._

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Eriol give her an encouraging grin as she stood up. "Kinomo… Kino Kura desu." Sakura could have killed herself on the spot. The first words out of her mouth and she was already making mistakes? Out of all the things she could possibly slip on, her _family name_? Her identity, Sakura decided, was in immediate peril of her big mouth.

"Kino. Age?" Yue's silver eyes pierced through her, as if reading every lie coming out of her mouth. Beads of sweat were beginning to form at the back of Sakura's neck.

"S… sixteen," she stuttered, failing hopelessly to sound cool and confident. Then, anticipating the next question, she spoke without thinking, "My estate is just on the other side of Hokkaido, so I come from farther north. My father is the Duke Kino of the North… ah!" Sakura had to try very, _very_ hard not to smack herself in the face. This was _not_ how she had planned on making an impression her first day.

Some of the students around her visibly rolled their eyes while one particularly courageous boy snorted quietly in the corner. Yue's eyes rounded on that boy, and (to Sakura's great relief) whoever he was, he shut up.

"As it is your first day here, you are excused, but I will inform you of our rules right now. In this institution, you are not to speak casually to any teacher, nor are you to speak out of line. I asked simply your age. 'Sixteen' would have sufficed. Kino," he looked back at her, and Sakura unconsciously held her breath. "You will be evaluated throughout this week to determine what your rank is. Who shall be his partner?"

Sakura's eyes went straight to Eriol but he shrugged apologetically and mouthed the words 'I already have one'.

The instructor surveyed the room. "No one. Very well, raise your hand if you do not already have a partner."

Only one hand went up, and when Sakura looked to see whose it was, she grimaced. Li Syaoran. Just her luck… perhaps she had been doomed to fail from the start. Masquerading as a male and infiltrating enemy territory. The fates must have turned against her the moment the crazy idea sprang into her head. Maybe that's why she had started to have such bad luck as soon as she entered the dividing forest. Divine intervention?

Then it hit her. She was on enemy territory… far away from home. Wasn't she supposed to be terrified? Weren't northerners supposed to be more… malicious? Somehow, this wasn't as dramatic as she had thought it would be. After all… _Eriol_ had been nice enough to her, even though his enigmatic smile often left her wondering if he had an ulterior agenda. _What was she doing relying on the enemy? Hadn't she sworn herself against them?_

"Good. Li, you will be Kino's partner. Be sure to show him around and keep him in check. Kino," Yue turned his back on her. "You will be expected to adapt to this lifestyle quickly, no excuses."

"Hai… wakarimashita," she murmured in response.

"Very well. You may sit."

Sakura sat with a sigh, and Eriol patted her on the back comfortingly. She could only give him a half-hearted smile, still thinking about the revelation she had only moments before. Eriol seemed nice… perhaps he was an exception? The other people she had met in the North were definitely unpleasant. Li Syaoran hadn't even bothered to look back at her in acknowledgment.

"We'll continue as usual. We'll practice our last form, the Dragon kata, as a class, and then you may all practice on your own. Do your best to keep up, Kino. I don't expect much from you, but the pace of this class will not slow. Li will help you learn the movements later. Stand!" Yue commanded, moving to the front of the room so that everyone could spread out.

Eriol murmured a quiet, "Don't worry, just watch everyone else," and motioned for Sakura to stand next to him. "You won't need your sword since this is a fist form class."

"Oh… okay," Sakura hurried to stand in the same position as the people around her, raising her fists up in front of her. For the next ten minutes, she desperately did her best to mimic those around her, punching when they punched and kicking when they kicked. Her fist fighting had never been that good to begin with, but she had hoped to at least keep up with _form_. But with each passing moment, Sakura felt more and more distressed and hopeless. Her timing would obviously be off considering she was watching then copying, but _twice_ Eriol had already bumped into her, and she had been so caught up in a more difficult kicking maneuver that she almost fell into the student in front of her without realizing that everyone else had turned to move towards the back. Both Yue _and_ Syaoran just _had_ to see her worst blunder, though Sakura had a sneaking suspicion that even though Yue's eyes were looking everywhere else _but_ her, he was still analyzing each one of her movements, measuring up every one of her strengths and weaknesses.

Sakura wondered what her 'rank' would be.

A loud "Osu!" from everyone around her, shocked her back into focus, and brought her attention to two things: first, the dragon form was obviously over, second, she was facing the wrong direction.

Face burning, Sakura hurriedly turned around and moved into the correct position.

"Continue on your own," Yue's command was loud and final.

All around her, bodies began shuffling around, and apparently each boy was pairing up with their original partners. Eriol gave her an encouraging smile as he walked over to a tall boy with spiky black hair.

She took a deep breath and went over to the center of the room where Syaoran was standing, ignoring the sneers and curious looks various boys sent her way as she walked.

Sakura took a deep breath. "Li-san," she said, nodding at him. His amber eyes glared down at her, but she stood fast, staring at him defiantly. She'd already messed up once, if she didn't stand her ground and show some backbone, she'd _never_ pass for a guy!

"Copy my movements. We'll do the dragon form once more, and then you can go work on your own," he said indifferently. "If you don't understand it then, go ask someone else. I have my own schedule to be practicing to."

"… Hai," she muttered, and even though she wasn't feeling the slightest bit grateful, Sakura added for decorum's sake. "Arigatou."

Syaoran nodded and moved into position. He slowed his pace a bit for her, and emphasized certain movements for her benefit as they shifted across the tatami floor. As much as she disliked the boy, Sakura could not help but notice how powerful his punches were, and how each and every part of his kata was executed with flawless finesse. Apparently there was a reason apart from his being Yelan's son that he was treated with such respect.

The form was over quickly, and Yue stated over the rustling of feet and unsynchronized "Osu'!"'s that they had another fifteen minutes before unarmed sparring would begin. Just as he promised, Syaoran left her on her own to practice, but she had already done the dragon form twice, and memorization of forms came easily to her, so Sakura didn't feel too anxious.

She practiced silently, on her own, careful not to bother the other pairs working around her. Some of the boys were talking quietly amongst themselves as they practiced, and Sakura knew that many of the whispers were probably about how crude her dragon form still was, but she was not doing too badly… at least she hoped she wasn't, in comparison with the others.

Yue's cool, calculating gaze never left her figure as she practiced the form two more times. Sakura wondered for a moment why he did not scold Syaoran for leaving her by herself, but Syaoran, alone, out of all the other boys seemed to be allowed his own agenda.

Her third attempt at the dragon form was accomplished with a few pauses, but with much more grace than before. Her fourth try, the last one she managed to squeeze in before the start of the next lesson, was finally decently executed. Sakura found herself sweating by the end of the fifteen minutes. If all the forms were are difficult as the dragon form, she'd have to work harder to keep up – it was only the first lesson of the day and she was already breaking into a light sweat.

"Return to your former positions," Yue commanded, and each boy hurried over to the back of the room, kneeling down on the tatami floor once again.

Sakura hated to admit it, but she felt an immense wave of relief as she sat down next to Eriol. He mouthed the words "You did well" to her before nodding at the front, indicating that they should listen.

"We will learn a new kick today… limited to one this morning out of pity for the one new student among us," Yue said before moving to the center of the room and balancing on his left leg. "Watch."

He lifted his right leg up into a standard side kick. "I am going to teach you what to do in a situation where you aim a kick at your opponent, but it does not connect. First and foremost I will tell you all that there is no excuse for _any_ of your attacks to not connect in the first place, since I have trained you all in proper aggression, but when faced against more… gifted opponents, such a situation may occur. The theory behind your countermeasure is simple. Continue to attack and do not lose your momentum. Momentum lost will not only give your opponent a slight advantage, but it will also cause unbalance, which gives your opponent blatantly obvious openings."

"If your kick has missed, do not stop," he instructed, swinging his foot forward in midair, simulating a missed kick, before twisting around in a complete circling and bringing his other foot down in a highly arched circled, which, had an opponent been present, would have caught him directly between the shoulder and the neck – a fatal pressure point. "Counter maneuvers are not limited to this one kick. Improvision and instinct are necessary in battle, as always. However, take this theory and put it into practice. Pair up!"

Apparently her relief had been short lived. Sakura felt a feeling of dread settle into her stomach as she rejoined Syaoran at the front of the room. While she had never failed to learn any hand-to-hand fighting techniques her father had taught her, she had never managed to best him _or_ her manservant. She had always excelled at form… yet the standard at which the Academy practiced was amazing; Sakura's dragon form had been barely passable. How was she going to manage this?

"I assume you know some basic hand-to-hand fighting techniques?" Syaoran asked, frowning and obviously displeased that his sparring partner for the day would be her… instead of whatever talented person he usually practiced with.

Sakura nodded, and he grunted an irritated, "Very well."

"Forget about today's lesson for the moment and come at me with everything you've got," he ordered. "I need to see what level you are at."

She dispensed with formalities this time around, and moved into a ready position without answering him. If she was going to do this, she couldn't be nervous or hold back. "I can only do my best," she whispered.

Perhaps he heard her, or perhaps he did not hear clearly and was going to ask what she had said, but Sakura's first feint caught him off guard. She dashed to the right, but as he instinctively moved to block, she ducked down to the ground and swept her right leg under him. Sakura hadn't really expected her kick to connect, and true to her expectations, Syaoran jumped and aimed a punch down at her.

Luckily for her, she had seen at least this far into what their spar would be like. Adapting Yue's movements from earlier, Sakura did not stop, but quickly twisted around and, with her right hand grabbing Syaoran's punch to throw him off balance, she brought her right leg around again in a high arch-kick intended for the crook of his neck.

The kick itself had connected, but it didn't seem to faze her opponent at all. On the contrary, Syaoran stared her in the eye and just _smirked_. Surprised, Sakura's grip on his right hand loosened, and immediately, he swung his own left leg under her, sweeping her off _her_ feet and unceremoniously onto the ground. She sprang up as fast as she could, but before she could fully get onto both of her feet, Syaoran had already locked his right leg around her the back of her knee, twisted her left arm behind her, and grabbed her right shoulder, his thumb poised above the pressure point that would painfully break the large joint.

"G-Give!" she gasped out, and all at once he removed himself from her. Sakura sat shakily onto the ground, her head hanging as she panted. Li Syaoran… was undeniably strong. Her sweat was already soaking into her gi, but when she looked up at him to see what his appearance looked like, she was infuriated to find that other than a bit of tousled hair, he looked immaculate.

"You… you're amazing," she said quietly after a minute. "Hopefully not everyone else in this room is like you… or I'm in real trouble." She doubted that anyone else, with perhaps, the exception of Yue, moved with the same muscular prowess _he_ did though.

To her surprise, however, Syaoran did not look nearly as irritated as he had before the start of their spar. He waited patiently as she got up and nodded at her. For a moment, Sakura thought he was actually pleased with her performance, but his next words put an immediate halt to her optimism.

"I thought I told you to forget about Yue's lesson," he said, coldly. Sakura suddenly realized that he didn't address the instructor as "Yue-sensei" but as "Yue"… what an arrogant person!

She started to protest, "Well I-"

"The childish grin you had on your face and the knot of concentration between your eyebrows as you stared at my right shoulder gave you away completely. You'd do well to not wear your emotions on your sleeve during battle. Amateur giveaways like those will spell your doom," he said bluntly. "But you need not worry, no one else in this room, except maybe Yue, is anywhere near my level." – _so _arrogant – "You will fit right in with the rest of these noble-bred sons."

This was aristocratic irony at its finest. Sakura glowered at him, angrily. It seemed that with each passing moment she was beginning to detest him more and more.

"Come. Another round. Yue has not even given the thirty minute warning," Syaoran said, smirking cruelly down at her. Sakura's anger did not die down, but her fighting spirit was greatly dampened when she envisioned how sore she was going to be after Syaoran's merciless beatings.

If this was simply the first lesson of the day… how was she going to survive the rest of them?

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**Tsuzuku…**

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Well there you have her exciting first lesson at the academy! This chapter turned out really long didn't it? I hadn't planned on writing so much at first… but I guess I really got into the scenarios. xD

**Please review! **

hai – yes (formal)

arigatou – thank you

wakarimashita – I understand (or, understood)

tatami – a sort of asian sweet-smelling straw tick arranged into mats to cover floors of Japanese buildings.

kata – otherwise known as "form". It is one long sequence of movements (often a series of kicks or punches) made as the martial artist moves across the floor. This is a formal series of movements of which there are many different kinds of varying difficulty.

osu – the loud cry given at the end of every form. This shows both spirit and strength.


	5. It's a LONG First Day

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP.**

**Thanks for the wait! **

**Oh! And one special announcement: anonymous reviews are now allowed on this story! I'm sorry I didn't notice that there was a special setting for them before. I've changed it now so please review all of you! **

**Enjoy! **

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Five**

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Sakura's emerald eyes stared at Syaoran's back, refusing to blink or look away as he left the room. There was the barest hint of a smirk on his face… a smirk directed towards _her_. The moment he was gone, however, she dropped down onto the floor, gasping for breath. Her muscles ached terribly and she felt like throwing up. Almost immediately, Eriol was by her side, patting her on the back and asking if she was okay.

"I… I've never… worked so hard my entire life," she panted, resisting the urge to allow her breakfast a view of the world outside. The sweat that had slid down from her forehead was stinging the corner of her eyes, so she wiped it away with the sleeve of her gi roughly. "And… and it's not even halfway to lunch!"

Her sapphire-eyed companion laughed good-naturedly as he helped her up. "Yes well, you should feel very good about yourself. Not many of the boys who've been here for years could keep up as well as you did. Syaoran doesn't usually push people so hard, so he must have seen something special in you. Up, up. We need to get to the next class."

"I think he's just a sadistic bastard," Sakura muttered under her breath as they left the room, eliciting a chuckle from Eriol. "What class is next?"

He smiled at her. "You'll like it. Horseback riding. You've got Kero, haven't you? Don't worry, you'll be great, and you don't even have to stay with your partner for this one."

"Partner huh… – wait. I wasn't just his partner for our first class? It applies to _all _classes?" she stared at him, horror in her wide eyes. After sparring with him for over an hour, Sakura had no doubt that he was extremely strong, unbelievably fast, and one of if not _the_ most talented students in the class… maybe even Academy. "I'm stuck with him _all day_?" the last part came out as a choked whisper.

Eriol beamed brightly at her and nodded affirmatively.

Scowling, Sakura asked, "Why didn't Li have a partner? "You two are close, aren't you?"

Eriol steered her over to the stables. "We grab our horses first and then go meet up with the teacher," he explained. "So full of questions aren't you? Very well then, yes, Syaoran and I are close. We are cousins, and since I am the last remaining member of my clan, I have lived as a guest with his family since infancy. He and I were partners at first, but when some new students joined, and I graciously decided to spare the odd newcomer the… pleasure of having my cousin as his partner. Syaoran usually spars with Yue-sensei, but of course you're here now."

"No wonder he was so displeased with my presence," Sakura shuddered. "I throw everything off balance for him, and now he's stuck with me from dawn to dusk." Her eyes narrowed at Eriol's unfaltering grin. "For all that you are cousins, the two of you are quite dissimilar."

"Oh?"

"Actually, I've thought of one," she said suddenly. "You both have disgustingly sadistic personalities."

"Ah, well…" Eriol began, clearly amused, but was cut off as Syaoran entered the stall next to them. Sakura jumped. Had he heard?

Her partner began very stoically to saddle his horse, not acknowledging her at all, but spoke to his cousin, "I left the strap you wanted for Ruby next to her reins."

Eriol smiled and thanked him. Sakura fidgeted uncomfortably before getting Kero set up as well. After a few minutes of tense silence – perhaps only tense for her – she mustered the courage to call over, "Hello, Li."

His brown eyes slid over her silently, but Syaoran said nothing as he swung onto his dark horse's back and rode out of the stable.

She groaned and buried her face into Kero's mane. "I don't suppose it's possible to trade partners," she muttered weakly.

Eriol grinned as they both swung onto their horses and rode out of the stables. "Don't be so depressed, I'm under the impression that he likes you," – Sakura blanched – "You called Syaoran, 'Li'. Is there any particular reason why?"

"I've decided that he is a very disagreeable person," she stated sarcastically. "And I do not feel particularly inclined to be overly polite to someone who has spent the past hour or so beating me into the dojo floor." Her last few words sounded a little bitter, and her companion laughed.

"But he does have a nice horse. You do too, Eriol," she added, a bit more cheerful. "Ruby is gorgeous." By now, Sakura was feeling very comfortable talking with him, all her misgivings about befriending a Northerner forgotten after such a hectic morning.

"Before your Kero came, she and Syaoran's horse, Lei Feng, were unmatched," Eriol said, obviously pleased at the compliment as he stroked his mare's silky, reddish brown coat. "Lei Feng means 'lightening wind' in Chinese."

Sakura nodded absentmindedly as Eriol led with Ruby over to a large clearing around the back of the Academy. Her mind suddenly recalled Syaoran's broad, shadowed back as he rode out of the stables on his pure black stallion. He did everything with such a muscular grace, much like that of the scar-faced man. It likely didn't mean anything at all, but it still left a strange impression on her.

"Kino!" – Sakura looked up, startled – "Are you listening to me?" an exasperated Eriol shook her out of her reverie, and Sakura realized with a jolt that they were in the grassy valley Syaoran's dojo overlooked. "I've been calling you for quite some time now."

"Sorry, Eriol," she grinned apologetically.

His smile did not fade as he assured her that he was not upset, but Sakura noted that it was a bit more fixed than usual. She winced. He was probably a bit annoyed at her lack of attention, especially since he was going out of his way to be kind to her. "This is where we'll be having class," Eriol told her.

Sakura stretched and stifled a yawn. "I see," she murmured.

His gaze softened. "Yue was pleased with how well you kept up this morning," Eriol continued, a bit more patiently than before. "You're not very strong, but you pick up quickly on forms and your stamina isn't bad for a newcomer. You have good reflexes."

A small blush fluttered across her cheeks. Had Yue been pleased? The silver-eyed teacher had been intimidating to say the least, and Sakura most certainly did not want to be on his bad side. He'd mentioned something about rank too. She opened her mouth to ask Eriol what Yue-sensei had meant by "rank", but shut it as the other boys who had been laughing loudly about something fell silent.

A tall man with black hair and a kind face rode over in front of their small group. This, she supposed, was the riding instructor.

"Ohayou gozaimasu," he said cheerfully, and the class echoed his greeting respectfully. "Good. I see that our new student has made it through his first class." He nodded towards Sakura. "I doubt Yue gave you a chance to introduce yourself, so I'll give you a minute to do so. Go on."

Actually she _had_ kind of introduced herself earlier… though it was more like Yue asking questions and her answering.

Sakura flushed. The thought _had_ occurred to her, that she might have to introduce herself, but whatever makeshift statements she had conjured up in her head before had been knocked out during her sparring session with Syaoran.

"Um."

She grimaced. What a tactful way to start. "My name is Kino Kura, and I come from farther up North near Hokkaido…" – she'd already said that in Yue's class! – "… my horse's name is Kero," Sakura finished lamely. She begged the earth to open up and swallow her as a few snorts escaped a couple boys near her, but the teacher smiled understandingly.

"No need to feel nervous. You may call me Terada-sensei, and as you have probably already guessed, I am your riding instructor. Welcome to the Academy," Terada-sensei said.

"A-Arigatou gozaimasu," she responded quietly.

"You have some riding experience?" he said, and even though she nodded respectfully, she felt it was more of a statement than a question. Their teacher's quick eyes had given her and Kero an evaluating once-over and he'd noticed that she was confident on her horse.

"Well feel free to ask questions if you feel uncomfortable anyway. I'm afraid today's lesson will be a bit difficult for a new student, have you a partner?" he asked.

Sakura stiffened considerably. "Yes sir," she said. "Li Syaoran was assigned to me by Yue-sensei."

Terada-sensei looked surprised, but merely nodded. "Li," he said. "Stay near Kino-kun and make sure he doesn't fall too far behind. Even though I doubt you will, if you two have any trouble you may head back to this field and wait for our return. Our lesson for today will be galloping through the Sakura forest."

She looked over at the thick cluster of cherry blossom trees happily. Even if Syaoran would be next to her during the lesson, she was positive she wouldn't have any trouble. Galloping at high speeds and dodging trees at the same time could be tricky at times, and very dangerous if the rider wasn't experienced, but she was sure she wouldn't slow the group down. Plus, she was familiar with the way cherry trees grew, and they were never too cluttered and close together. They'd have plenty of space.

But now that she thought about it… did Sakura trees usually grow in entire _forests_? Perhaps the beautiful blossoms grew better here in the North than in the South.

"Don't lag behind, boys," he continued. "It's going to be a quick, ten minute ride and then we'll return here to jump fences like usual. We'll go in three groups, five, five, and four at a time. The other ten of you can wait here and ride around while you wait. Be sure to stay in the field. First group, Li, Kino, Yamazaki, Sadaharu, and Kudou, follow me."

Terada-sensei kicked his chestnut mare, and they started off towards the trees. "Slow down if you have to," he called back. "I don't want anyone crashing."

Sakura wasn't scared at all, and the other boys seemed to be having more trouble than she was, but Syaoran looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. Her jaw threatened to drop. Had he just issued a challenge to her?

His mouth edged into a smirk, and that was all it took.

She glared back at him and whispered into Kero's ear, "Faster, boy, go!"

Kero neighed loudly, and began picking up speed. Within seconds she was parallel with the teacher, and gave him a wide smile when he looked at her with surprise. Syaoran, too, had caught up easily, and the three of them were at the head of the pack, galloping very quickly and maneuvering effortlessly through the Sakura trees.

The other three students weren't far behind, but they seemed unable to catch up, and Sakura heard one of them curse loudly as his horse barely missed colliding with another boy. "Watch it!" the teacher called back. She wanted to go even faster, but they all had to follow Terada-sensei, and if the three of them pulled ahead any farther, the other students wouldn't be able to keep up.

The instructor had said it was a ten-minute ride, but they were back in the field within six or seven. Apparently Terada-sensei had wanted to see how fast she could go. The three in the back, Yamazaki, Sadaharu, and Kudou, raced out of the forest an entire minute after they had arrived.

The other boys stared at them with surprise. Terada-sensei had never left half the group so far behind before, and the new student had galloped out of the forest with a carefree smile, racing Syaoran to where they were standing.

"Very nice, Kino," Terada said, obviously impressed. Sakura grinned. "Next group!" he called out. "Murasaki, Sagara, Kikumaru, Hiiragizawa, and Furukawa, you're up."

As the five plus the teacher left, the first group joined the rest of the students by the fences.

Syaoran hadn't said a word to her, and Sakura felt incredibly awkward all of a sudden and wished desperately for Eriol to return soon. The other boys were talking amongst each other, but she had the uncanny feeling they were talking about _her_.

"Hey, Kino," two guys rode up to her, both grinning. The taller one spoke first, "My name's Andou, Andou Tsubasa, and this here is Yamazaki. Yamazaki's been telling me that you ride _fast_. Were you really keeping up with Li the whole way?" Sakura hoped she didn't look as shy as she felt. She looked curiously at the two spiky-haired boys.

"Er… yeah," she said hesitantly.

"Cool," they both sighed, and Andou slapped her hard on the back, huge grin set into his features. "That's really amazing. Maybe you've already figured it out by now, but Li's somewhat of a prodigy. Only Eriol has ever been able to keep up with him after all, but I bet you already know about how great Eriol is."

Sakura stared at him. "Well, um… no. You see, I only met him yesterday afternoon."

"Are you serious? I thought for sure that you two knew each other from before. Eriol may be a bit friendlier than the ice prince himself, but he doesn't really mingle with the rest of us too much either. He must have taken a liking to you," Yamazaki smiled his close-eyed smile. "By the way, did you know that there's a legend about the Sakura forest you just rode through? Sakura forests are rare, after all."

She _had_ wondered about the Sakura forest. "Really?" she asked, intrigued. "What kind of legend is it?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Andou smacking his own face with a large hand in exasperation. "Andou, is something wrong?"

"No… not yet at least," he said, glaring at his smiling friend.

"Well, legend says that if a man confesses his love to a woman at tree in the very center of the forest during a full moon in spring, their love will last forever," Yamazaki continued. "You see, this saying first started one hundred years ago during the –"

"Stop telling lies!!" Andou yelled, violently whacking Yamazaki over the head with the hilt of his sword. "You really shouldn't listen to a word this guy says after the phrase 'did you know' comes out of his mouth. They're just a bunch of lies. Where in the world would we find a woman here anyways, you idiot?"

"Heh? That was a lie?" Sakura asked, surprised.

"Easy one to trick aren't you? Don't worry, you'll get used to his lies soon enough. It's his partner in crime you have to worry about," Andou explained. "You can never tell when that bastard Erio-"

"Hm? What were you going to say, Tsubasa-kun?" All three of them started slightly as Eriol appeared next to them. Apparently the second group had just finished.

"N-Nothing, Eriol!" Andou laughed nervously and muttered. "Nothing at all."

"Well in any case, to answer your question earlier, girls _are_ coming over this year," Eriol said cheerfully. Sakura felt a chill crawl up her spine. _How long had he been listening to their conversation without any of them noticing?_ Eriol was indeed a person to be reckoned with. "From mid-Winter to Spring the ladies from the Daidouji Institute will come and stay with us. Yelan-sama told me that this event was arranged to 'improve internal relations'. Ah, formal parties and social activities included, of course," he explained.

Someone snorted, and Sakura turned to see yet another boy riding up to their small group. "It's probably just another plan by our high-minded Otou-sama's to set their rich sons and daughters up."

"Hey Kudou," Eriol greeted, and the boy nodded in response.

Andou whistled, "But man, I wouldn't mind getting to know some of those _ladies_. I mean, I've been here for five years now! It's about time this prestigious Academy reputation got me some girls!"

They all laughed, Sakura a little more weakly than the rest, but no one seemed to notice.

"By the way, did you know that the Daidouji Institute of Ladies was actually founded by a runaway princess from the moon several hundred years ago? That princess' name was Tsuki-hime, and she and her band of moon servants-"

Andou smashed his fist onto Yamazaki's head. The implication of this action was lost upon Sakura, who eagerly asked. "Really? There are really princesses on the moon?"

All the boys, even Yamazaki, who had incidentally opened his eyes in surprise, stared at her.

She looked at all of them quietly before nervously fidgeting with Kero's hair. "Um… did I say something wrong?" she murmured.

Finally, Tsubasa broke the silence. "You know," he said quite seriously. "It's a shame you're not a girl, Kino. Now that I realize it, you'd be rather pretty, wouldn't you? And your naïveté is seriously, really cute!" With this, he grinned and began ruffling her hair and laughing.

Sakura felt her blood turn cold. It was a simple joke, and everyone else was laughing, but if she was to keep her identity a secret, such seemingly innocent teases about her gender were dangerous.

"Geez," she bit off sarcastically. "I'm flattered, Andou." Sakura was sure to send him the most intimidating glare she could muster. This only seemed to tickle him more, and soon Tsubasa was roaring with laughter.

"Alright, alright," Sakura said, doing her best to sound extremely annoyed instead of scared. "Enough already. My masculinity has been wounded enough for today."

Andou stopped, but the stupid grin stayed plastered on his face. He looked like he wanted to say more, but at that moment Terada-sensei rode over and yelled, "What are you doing Andou? I called for the third group _twice_ already! Hurry up and get your butt over here!"

"Ah! Sorry sensei!" the spiky-haired boy said, and left the group.

Sakura looked over to where the final riders set off for the Sakura forest, relieved. To her surprise, when her gaze moved over to the back of the group where Syaoran and his horse, Lei Feng, stood, he was staring at her. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks, and she quickly looked back over to Eriol to hide her embarrassment.

_What was that all about_, she thought frantically.

"Well, why don't we all introduce ourselves then, for the sake of our new peer?" Eriol said, smiling brightly. "We'll go around. As you already know, I'm Eriol. That wisecracking idiot was Andou Tsubasa, and in the rest of group riding now are Hayama Sousuke, Nishikawa Daisuke, and Yukishiro Masao. You'll see them around later."

"Yamazaki Takashi."

"Kudou Shinichi."

"Sadoharu Takeshi."

"Sagara Shinosuke."

"Furukawa Eiji."

"Murasaki Sano."

"Yoshikane Umeno."

"Kikumaru Akito."

Sakura held her breath.

"Li," Syaoran said, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Eto… Kino desu… yoroshiku," she mumbled, suddenly shy. There were fourteen of them in all, counting her and the four who had just left with Terada-sensei.

"Got to know everyone then?" the riding instructor had returned, and he smiled kindly at her. "Very good. Now, everyone, it's time to jump fences."

Sakura felt strangely lighter now that everyone had seemed to accept her. She looked cheerfully over to the fences that had been set up on the far end of the field and followed everyone else as they rode over to the course's starting point.

"We'll have Li do a demonstration first. If you please, Li-kun," Terada nodded.

Syaoran's amber eyes looked straight at her own emerald orbs, as if taunting her, before turning Lei Feng and kicking his horse into a fairly fast run. Lei Feng cleared the first two fences in one giant leap, a feat Sakura was sure few of the other boys could accomplish. Afterwards though, Syaoran seemed to be finished showing off and went through the rest of the course almost lazily.

Sakura wasn't sure whether or not to take the bait. He'd been testing her abilities all day, but was revealing all her abilities so quickly such a good idea? She returned his glare rebelliously when he finished, and boldly brought Kero up to the front of the line.

In ay case, they all already knew she could ride, so hiding her skills here would be useless, Sakura reasoned, not wanting to attribute her sudden competitive spirit to Syaoran's obvious provocation.

"Show them how it's done, boy," she murmured in Kero's ear. Her horse reared and broke into a gallop. As soon as Kero had cleared the first two fences in a single jump, Sakura let him slow his pace a little, and easily paced through the rest of the course. When she had made a full circle back to the waiting group, she was unable to keep the reckless grin off her face.

The challenge was sent back over to Syaoran's side of the court. He might have nailed her in hand-to-hand fighting, but on horseback she was his equal.

"Very well done, Kino-kun," Terada said, amusement in his voice. "Though the first jump was a bit unnecessary. Alright then, everyone, begin the usual routine!"

For the next hour or so, they boys spent their time jumping fences of various heights and timing each of their runs through the course, with Terada-sensei either nodding approvingly or yelling angrily and demanding that the boy who had failed to start over again.

By the time the gong summoning them to lunch had sounded, Sakura was in very high spirits. She tagged along with Eriol to the main hall, and it soon became apparent that all the guys in their group would be sitting together.

"Hey Eriol," she asked as they filled their bowls with rice. "What did Yue-sensei mean by rank this morning?"

"Oh, I forgot you didn't know," he answered, a surprised expression on his face. "Well, all the students in the Academy are assigned a rank based on their abilities. I don't know if you noticed, but each of us is wearing a different colored wristband. See?"

Eriol put his tray on the table and kneeled next to her on the zabuton. Then, he pulled the left sleeve of his gi up to reveal a long, black string wrapped around and around his wrist to make a sort of bracelet, with a perfectly round, silver piece of metal on the end. Etched into the metal's surface was the Academy emblem.

"It's made this way so that, if you want, it can be worn around the neck, but most everyone here wears it as a wristband, much manlier," Andou grinned from across the table. He obviously hadn't given up on his joke from horseback lessons.

"There are three ranks. Black, being the highest, as you can see by the color of my string. Red would be second rank and white is third rank. The Academy assigns these ranks to you, but you can always move either up or down at the end of each month based on your performance," Eriol explained. "We also have uniforms for more formal occasions… you'll probably get yours later. The emblem sewn onto the gi of the uniform is also the color of your rank, so we get fresh uniforms at the end of every month."

"The uniforms are only for special occasions so it doesn't really matter," the boy name Kikumaru piped up. "But look at my wristband! It's red!" He grinned eagerly at her, and Sakura found herself a bit overwhelmed by the intensity of his smile… what a cheerful boy…

Everyone else around the table raised up their own left wrists with the exception of Syaoran, and Sakura could see boldly standing from out their tanned skin, bright red and white strings. She looked pointedly over at Syaoran as if inquiring Eriol what rank _he_ was.

"Black, of course," he replied cheerfully.

"Only Li and Hiiragizawa are good enough to have black wristbands… I think there are only about three or four people in the entire Academy that do. The rest of us fluctuate between red and white depending on our performance," Yamazaki said before swallowing a huge mouthful of rice. Sakura remembered that his wristband had been red.

The other boys had begun eating and Sakura quickly followed suit, though she continued to listen keenly.

"Let's see, ranks don't mean too much. Sometimes people with higher ranks get small privileges like using the furo first or seating arrangements in class, but other than that there isn't too much. Oh, but lower ranks have to show deference to higher ranks, of course," Kudou said, smiling at her. He was a second rank.

The boy sitting on her left, Sadoharu, spoke with his mouthful, spraying Sakura's face with grains of rice, which she wiped off disdainfully. "Well, you're new here so you'll probably start off as white. Everyone except for Li and Hiiragizawa have, and they both started out as black."

"Well, you'll probably move up to red quickly," Andou consoled her. "Li may have destroyed you during Yue's lesson… and old hawk-eyes is pretty strict, but Terada-sensei was definitely impressed with your horseback. You're amazing on that horse of yours, Kero right?" He teased lightly.

Sakura smiled back at him, but they all jumped when Syaoran spoke suddenly.

"No," he said clearly. "He won't be white to begin with."

Everyone at their table fell silent, not sure what to make of his words, but the gong rang, and they were all soon scrambling off to their dorms to retrieve their books and writing materials before filing off to class. Sakura ran to the dojo as quickly as she could to join up with Eriol, but Syaoran took his time, walking at his own pace behind her. She had brought writing materials with her, but books she would probably receive later.

"We have academic studies next," Eriol murmured as they entered a large classroom. "This is where the seating by rank takes place since there are no actual seats in the dojo's. I'll be sitting in the front, but you ought to stay here until the sensei calls you."

After everyone had sat down, a tall, muscular man walked into the room, passing Sakura by without looking at her, but beckoning her forward with a wave of his hand. "A new student, Kino Kura. I am your math instructor, Mouri Takeshi. Take your seat in the back, Kino."

"Kiritsu!" Eriol called as the instructor sat down. The class rose to their feet, and Sakura hurried to follow suit. "Rei!" he continued, and everyone bowed. "Chaku seki." Everyone sat down.

The moment the word "math" had left the master's lips, Sakura had visibly cringed. There was no subject in the world she had hated more at home than math. "We'll start off with this problem for today," the math instructor said. "Everyone turn to page thirty seven."

Sakura raised her hand. "Mouri-sensei," she said when he had acknowledged her. "I do not have a book."

The teacher's dark eyes narrowed but he said simply, "I will request a copy for you tomorrow, but until then, share with the person next to you. Write the problems on your own roll of paper."

"Yes sir," she said, and turned to the only person sitting in her row. It was Sadoharu. Big, burly, stupid, but good-natured Sadoharu. Sakura grinned weakly up at him and murmured a quiet, "Yoroshiku…" before copying the problem down.

To her dismay, she did not understand half the symbols of the complex looking problem. Next to her, Sadoharu was no help, since he was as clueless as she was. The instructor began explaining the theory and fundamentals behind the problem, and Sakura got the feeling that she _kind of_ understood what was going on, but she wasn't sure.

At home, she'd only gotten as far as basic algebra and had forever been a source of never-ending exasperation to her math instructor. The figures in front of her now looked _somewhat_ like the marks she used at home… but a great many of them she couldn't recognize at all.

Throughout the entire one-hour period, Sakura had been in a state of confused panic. Mouri-sensei had called upon her three times to see how she was doing, and while she had guessed correctly the answer the first time, she had failed miserably the other two, and both Andou and Kikumaru had had the nerve to stare back at her with mocking grins on their faces.

He assigned them homework, which Sakura would have to copy off of someone else later since she did not yet have a book, and by the time they were ushered out of the room, Sakura was sure this would be her most dreaded class.

When Eriol saw the expression on her face, he laughed outright. "You had to be bad at _something_ didn't you, Kino? I mean, you did so well against Syaoran at sparring and you nearly bested him on horseback," he comforted. "Go ahead and ask Syaoran for help tonight, he's a math genius after all. If he proves less than cooperative you're free to swing by my dorm tomorrow."

"Won't it be too late by tomorrow?" Sakura asked miserably.

"Oh no, our classes rotate each day, you see," Eriol explained. "I'm sorry to say your favorite class, horseback won't be taking place tomorrow. It alternates daily with archery lessons. The academics rotate alternately too, to give us a chance to do our work. Math, history, writing, reading, physics, and such all switch off, two a day. Oh, gentleman's class rotates with military tactics. The only classes that stay constant are fist form, weaponry, and sword fighting. Ah, weaponry includes how to _use_ the various weapons we care for too, of course."

Sakura's eyes must have told him how terrifyingly _full_ their schedule was because he patted her arm sympathetically. "Don't worry, we do get an hour to ourselves after our sword fighting class, though most of us use that for baths, since gentleman's class is in the evening."

"Does all of that even _fit_?" she asked, irritated since she was already tired. "And what _is_ a 'gentleman's' class anyhow?"

"Well we only have two academic lessons a day, and they're each only an hour long after lunch, so it's not too bad. Weaponry takes a good hour and a half, and sword fighting is our main course to it's up to the master's discretion when that class ends, but it usually takes up roughly two hours. After that is our hour's break, then dinner, so by the time it's either tactics or gentleman's class, which, by the way, means etiquette, the moon is in the sky." Eriol finished cheerfully. "Oh, and any detentions or lessons that need to be made up take place afterwards. We _do_ get Sundays completely free though. And Saturday is basically free except for chores… which I will explain to you later. This is our writing class."

Sakura felt a little better about this lesson, and the writing master seemed friendly enough. It was a good thing that she had been studying lessons at home, or else Sakura was sure she would never catch up to the pace the Academy moved at.

During their weaponry lesson, she'd been handed a long stick to work with, but unfortunately all the other boys had been practicing staff fighting for years already, whereas she had never even been taught the basics. When Sakura had asked the weapons master for help a fifth time, she was assigned extra lessons on Saturdays after chores.

"This is going to be harder than I thought," Sakura pouted miserably as she walked side-by-side with Eriol to their sword fighting class.

He simply laughed at her as they followed the rest of the boys in their crowd a few steps behind. "That's a rather cute expression you've got going there. I can see why Andou won't stop about how cute a guy you are," he said gently.

Immediately, she removed the pout from her face and glared up at him. "I can't help it if I didn't exactly grow up surrounded by guys. I had many… female attendants, and I know I don't _look_ masculine, but do you honestly have to take turns poking at my pride?" She hoped she sounded convincingly insulted. The annoyance was genuine.

"Don't get so mad, Kura-san," Eriol said. "It was simply a comment. I won't mention it any more if you don't want me to. You don't have to worry too much about the weapon's master though. He's a big softie, so he'll let you go after you gain your footing with staff work."

Sakura, flushed, feeling a bit ashamed at making such a big deal about Eriol's "girly" jokes… but they _were_ a big deal to her, even if no one else knew why. She'd have to really hide herself well if she was going to pull this off.

There wasn't much she remembered about Touya, since he'd gone away while she was still very young, but one thing she could recall was his lack of response when he was uncomfortable. So Sakura summoned up her courage and gave the best "Touya's noncommittal grunt" she could muster.

It seemed to pass off well, and Eriol said no more, but maybe it was because he didn't have a chance to since they were entering the dojo.

"You must sit according to your rank in this class," he murmured under his breath. "For now, go kneel in the third row with the rest of the white bands."

Sakura nodded and took her spot in the back corner as she had in the academic lessons. When she looked up at the teacher though, she had to bite back a scream.

"Yu… Yukito-san!" she whispered quietly. Her emerald eyes didn't leave his figure at the front of the room as he stood and addressed the class.

"We have a new student today," he said, smiling. "Please stand, Kino… kun…" Yukito's words trailed off as he stared at Sakura in surprise. He seemed unable to believe that she was standing there, right in front of him. As if in a daze, he took two steps in her direction, and Sakura, realizing the danger his actions could cause, quickly brought back his awareness.

"Kino Kura desu," she said clearly, staring him straight in the eye, as if communicating to him that they would have to talk later.

Yukito stared at her strangely, but nodded absentmindedly. "Yes… very good Kino-kun, please take your seat…"

Sakura noticed with a good deal of anxiety that both Syaoran and Eriol were staring suspiciously up at their sword-fighting instructor.

Oh boy…

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**I hoped you all enjoyed that nice, extra **_**long**_** chapter. XD There's more to come… if you REVIEW!!!!!!!!! please? **

ne… : is the equivalent of saying. Hey… or By the way…

arigatou gozaimasu: thank you very much

ohayou gozaimasu: good morning

eto…: umm or err

desu: it means "am" or "is" so "Kinomoto desu" would be the same as saying "I am Kinomoto."

hai: yes

kiritsu: stand

rei: bow

chaku seki: take your seats

zabuton: Japanese mats used to kneel or sit on

yoroshiku: "I am in your care" or "please take care of me"

furo: bath


	6. The End of the LONG First Day

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is property of CLAMP.**

**Sorry for the wait! **

**I'm glad that you guys liked the last chapter. The "first day of school" will be done… finally by this chapter. It was a long first day, wasn't it? xD**

**Enjoy!**

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Six**

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"Class," Yukito said, snapping out of his daze and returning to the rest of his students, some of whom were now looking at him strangely as well, especially the two black-rank boys in the front. "We will have a simple session of self practice. You may all spar or perform your katas on your own or with your partner. Kino-kun."

Sakura looked back up at her brother's childhood friend and fellow spy for the South. "Hai, Tsukishiro-sensei?" The world tumbled from her lips naturally, and the moment they spilled forth, she realized it was too late to grab them back. Yukito had not yet told her his name.

Both of them had visibly tensed, noticing her slip, but Yukito continued smoothly as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. It was a small mistake, with any luck, no one else had thought anything of it. "Who is your partner?" he asked.

"Li," she said shortly, grimacing. Another round with the muscle mass of death? She was tired enough already as it was.

Yukito seemed surprised but nodded. "Everyone else may begin practicing. Li-kun and Kino-kun may come over here with me. I want to see how much skill you have with a katana, Kino-kun."

Syaoran and Sakura both picked up their swords and walked over to where their instructor was while everyone else began dispersing around the room.

"I want to see how much you've improved, Kura-san," Yukito said, smiling at her as soon as the three of them were in their own separate part of the room. "I haven't seen you since you were just a little boy."

Sakura stared at him, not sure what he was planning, but she had no choice but to play along. Perhaps he was making up for her mistake earlier. "It's been a while, Yukito-san," she responded cheerfully. Syaoran said nothing, but simply drew his sword.

"You wanted to test his strength, yes?" his deep voice said clearly. "Then let's begin, Yukito-sensei."

Sakura wasted no time drawing her katana as Syaoran's own sword came swinging down at her without warning. She glared up at him as their two blades were still locked together in midair, him bearing down upon her. "Not much for fair play, are you, Li?" she snarled resentfully. "Is giving fair warning below you?"

He smirked at her as he pulled his sword back suddenly, and the two of them sprang apart. "The point of this fight is to see what level a fighter you are. Whether or not you are on guard is an important aspect of a warrior's training," Syaoran taunted, before adding. "I would not have attacked if I did not think you could handle it."

Sakura wasn't sure whether he had just insulted or complimented her, but she was too distracted to care. Her arm, shoulders and upper thighs were already aching from that brief moment of contact – he was _strong_.

"You know very well that we are in a proper dojo right now, Li-kun," Yukito said sternly, stepping between the two of them. "No matter what your intention, your actions were not above reproach."

Syaoran looked over at him, and to Sakura's great surprise, he bowed his head in assent. What was this? Even to the other masters the Li heir had shown only marginal respect. Sakura felt uneasy as she looked back and forth between the two men.

"Good," Yukito smiled at both of them. "Now let's start this properly. Both of you get into your ready positions, and I will start the spar. Neither of you need hold back, as I will intervene in this match as I see proper. Ready?"

Sakura found herself staring at her opponent's sword as they moved across from each other. Now that she noticed… Syaoran's sword really wasn't a katana at all. It was wider, and double-edged. There was no curve at the tip of the blade, and there was a strange looking talisman hanging at the end of the hilt. Some form of a Chinese sword, perhaps?

"Begin!"

Sakura decided to give him the first attack. She had no idea what kind of style Syaoran fought with, and if his sword skills were anything like his hand-to-hand fighting techniques, this match would not last long if she was careless.

His deep, brown eyes surveyed her for a moment, before a smirk appeared on his lips. With a jolt, Sakura saw that he was charging directly at her… fast! She'd never seen anyone move that quickly before. Within a second he was upon her, and their blades had locked together once again.

He wanted to see how she would get of this situation, Sakura realized. She was obviously smaller and had fewer muscles, and it would be impossible to disengage herself without some skill. What frightening ability, he was forcing her to show some of her hand with the first move.

If that's the way it was going to be, then she wanted to show him _all_ of her talent… but that was impossible, with the current situation.

Clenching her teeth, Sakura deftly broke his hold on her by moving her sword so that the two hilts met with a jerk, and she slid out from under him, swiftly elbowing him in the gut. With anyone else, this maneuver ought to have disarmed her opponent, but Sakura had long discovered that her new partner was far from average.

She didn't bother waiting for an opening, but sprung to the side, distancing herself from him. The muscles in her arms were still ringing from the pressure he had placed on her. Syaoran had recovered quickly, just as Sakura had expected, but she knew he was more interested in seeing what she had to offer than defeating her quickly. It would only be proper for her to satisfy.

Sakura took a deep breath and lifted her katana so that the hilt was by her right ear, and the tip of the blade pointed straight at Syaoran.

"The first step," she stated clearly. The other boys had paused their own matches to turn and stare at theirs. Syaoran's confusion at her statement was evident by his frown, but his eyes never left her, waiting for her attack to begin.

Sakura sighed inwardly. She wanted so badly to challenge Syaoran with her full potential, but her own fighting style would reveal her almost immediately. But still, her father's technique was far from weak.

She swung her blade in an arc to her right… then brought it back around in front to slash diagonally down to the opposite end, only to mirror the motion on her left side, completely the X made in front of her. Then she brought the blade back up to its original position, parallel to the side of her face. This was the opening.

Immediately, Sakura ran at Syaoran, and began engaging him in a series of parries, cutting at him, all the while, with the same X she had made before. Just as she expected, Syaoran defended himself easily, but she was impressed anyways. Having been on the receiving end of her father's sword technique many, many times, it was really an accomplishment to successfully block the oncoming torrent of slashes and cuts – a succession that was quickly speeding up with every passing seconds.

Soon, both of their arms were blurs as Sakura began backing Syaoran up across the room. "So you _can_ produce some force with those skinny arms of yours," he said, smirking at her. Sakura merely smiled and continued her attack.

She knew it couldn't last for long. Sakura simply wasn't suited to her father's style of fighting. Although the increase in speed added more power to her attack, her fundamental lack of pure strength and muscle created a fatal flaw in the technique's overall scheme. There was a reason she had adopted a style other than her father's.

"But it seems you have a bit more practicing to do, doesn't it?" Syaoran's deep voice said next to her ear. Sakura didn't even bother responding. What was to come next, she already knew from many, _many_ years of experience.

All it took was one clean halt to her succession of attacks. Syaoran flattened the side of his blade against her katana's sharp edge. With her balance slightly broken with the sudden change of surface, he was able to throw her back, and following with the same stroke, pointed his sword to her nose.

Sakura shut her eyes and sighed. "Give," she mumbled miserably. Because she had practiced with her father so many times, her recovery time between breaks had become smaller, and she had been able to fend off many decent fighters even with this tiny flaw, but against better samurai like her father or Syaoran, this exposed weakness was too great to overcome. Her lack of strength made counterattack possible for a strong opponent, and made formidable defense impossible without some few moments of preparation. Usually, she would either roll away, or twist around her opponent to restart her attack, but against Syaoran the chances to do so were slim.

His dark brown eyes surveyed her, and a frown had appeared on his face. Was he disappointed with her performance?

The sound of clapping woke Sakura from her musings. Yukito walked over to the two of them, smile on his face. "Very well done both of you. That was a fine performance," he said cheerfully. "Kura-san, you have improved."

"Ahh… arigatou sensei," she said quietly, not meeting his eyes. For some reason, she felt dissatisfied – as if she had had the last bite of a delicious meal stolen from her. … was she getting hungry?

Around her, the other boys began mumbling again, and most of them returned to their own spars. Sakura looked up at Syaoran and forced a smile. "You really are good at everything, aren't you?" she said.

He didn't respond to her question, but simply raised his sword again. "One more round."

Sakura looked over at Yukito, and he nodded. "I've already seen what level you fight at, the two of you make rather suitable partners," he laughed. "I'll just leave you two then. Keep on sparring while I walk around the other pairs. Have fun, Kura-san, Li-kun."

As the instructor left, her gaze returned to the smirk on Syaoran's face, and she grimaced. Another long, _long_ lesson.

----------

Sakura sank into the large furo with a tired sigh. The hot, murky water from the bath salts left her muscles feeling _so_ good. How long had it been since she last enjoyed a bath this much? She looked around the wooden bathhouse cheerfully. There _were_ some advantages to staying in a dojo with Syaoran after all. According to Eriol there was a large bathhouse near the dorms, but the majority of it was made up of a public bath. There were private stalls, but apparently the lines waiting for them were rather long.

"Lalala…" Sakura lifted her legs out of the water and curled her toes happily. The furo here was large and comfortable, and most importantly, very, _very_ private. Only she and Syaoran had access to it after all. Perhaps it had been a reward for keeping up with him all day in such strenuous activities, but he had actually shown her where the bath was and had even offered to let her use it first. This was like heaven… the warm, soothing feeling made her feel comfortable and it reminded her of her own bath at home.

Humming a tune her mother had taught her as a child, Sakura cheerfully rubbed more wash solutions into her milky skin. It seemed that what sunlight she had been soaking in during her trip to the north simply didn't want to stay in her skin. Sakura wondered if it would be weird if she never developed a decent tan…

But the Academy was certainly full of such strange people. From Eriol's enigmatic smile… to Syaoran's terrifying strength… even Yamazaki's strange stories were a new experience for her. It seemed amazing that so many different people could gather in one place – not to mention Yukito-san! She'd long gotten over her childhood crush, but she was so, _so_ happy to see a friendly and familiar face.

The rest of the teachers had been rather intimidating, Terada-sensei had been kind, but Yue-sensei was simply in a category of his own. And the workload they had each day… would she be able to handle all of it? The students in the Academy were obviously talented and well trained. The pace they moved at was probably unthinkable at any other school.

Sakura lifted her hands out of the water and stared at the scratches on them absentmindedly. Things were going to get tougher from here on out, but there was no way she could give up. Emerald eyes darkened, and unconsciously, her hand tightened into a fist, her nails digging into her palm. She still had to kill _him_… and find what had happened to Touya.

Some muffled noises from outside the bathroom door made her sit up straight, her hands pressed to her chest. She had been inside for almost half an hour already… even though Yukito had let their class out early, she'd stayed back to talk to him and explain her circumstances. If she didn't get out soon, Syaoran wouldn't get a chance to wash properly before dinner. Plus, boys were supposed to take fast baths weren't they? It would probably be strange if she stayed there any longer.

Sakura stood up, her hands still grasped firmly to her chest. There was plenty of steam in the room, and she had a hard time seeing. _Where_ had she put her washcloth?

Just as she reached to grab the fallen piece of fabric, Sakura felt a cold wave of air hit her body. Immediately, she looked over to the bath entrance in fear. Someone… _someone_ must have opened the door. But her emerald eyes saw only a shut shoji door, and lots and lots of steam. Had… it just been her imagination? No, that was impossible. She definitely felt a cool blast of air hit her wet skin, but why hadn't she heard the door open? Perhaps there was an open vent somewhere in the room and she simply hadn't noticed before?

Now wasn't the time to consider such things! Quickly drying her body and pulling a clean set of clothes on, Sakura rushed out of the bathhouse. Syaoran was waiting for her outside, a serious expression on his face. For one moment she was terrified he was going to demand why she, a female, was at the Academy… but all he said was, "You take far too long. This is the last time I let you use the furo first."

To Sakura's great relief, he merely glared at her before stepping inside and shutting the door. She stared at the shut door for a few seconds before running as fast as her tired legs could take her to her room.

As soon as she was inside, she collapsed on her futon, her heart pounding loudly. Was it simply a coincidence that Syaoran had been outside waiting for her? Had he… had he _seen_? Had he opened the door?

"But…" But it hadn't seemed like he had found out about her identity. And if he _had_ been outside the entire time, then no one else could have gone inside either. There was a small room to change in before the actual room with the furo… perhaps he had simply opened the first door and had realized that she was still inside? Maybe that was where the cod wind had come from.

Sakura's fingers shook as she picked up a comb and ran it through her long auburn tresses. All she could do was watch Syaoran carefully and see if he treated her any differently. She was perfectly certain sure that he would have simply turned her in if he had realized she was a girl.

"I wonder what time it is right now?" she asked into the silence of her room.

It was not until her hair had dried and heart calmed down that Sakura walked out of the dojo. After a few minutes of absentminded wandering, Sakura realized that something seemed off. She had been sure the main hall had been just beyond the third dojo… oh dear.

A feeling of dread sunk down her spine. Was she lost? The sun was quickly setting, and even though she had spent most of the day running between classes, she'd always had Eriol with her then. Why, _why_ was her terrible sense of direction kicking in now?

"Eriol?" she called out nervously. It couldn't hurt to try, right? Sakura looked frantically around. None of the buildings looked familiar in the dark… a sudden thought made her smother a whimper begging to rise from her throat. And what if, what if…

But there couldn't be any ghosts here right? Those were just scary stories Touya had told her to frighten her as a kid, right? There was no reason for her to be scared of ghosts _now_. She was older, wiser, and what more, she had more pressing difficulties to worry about! Ghosts were nothing compared to traveling alone into the North and impersonating a boy to enter the Academy. Nope, nothing to be scared of at all.

Then she saw it. A sudden reflection of light coming from behind her, but when she turned around, it was dark again.

"G-Ghost-san?" she whimpered. Slowly Sakura turned back around to walk in the opposite direction. If nothing else, she wanted to get as far away from the ghost…. No, ghosts don't exist, ghosts don't exist…

BANG!

Sakura jumped high into the air, screaming, "Ghost!!!" She crouched down on the ground, her hands covering her head. How had she gotten herself into this situation? She should have just left with Syaoran when he finished his bath!

She remained in that position for several long minutes before her stomach growled loudly. Sakura mumbled a string of incoherent curses. She was torn between remaining there, crouching on the ground in fear, or getting up and finding the dinner hall. After all that exercise during the day, she was starving!

"Ah… I want to eat yakisoba…" Sakura mumbled. She was so hungry she could almost taste the delicious, fried noodles in the air. Sakura sniffed sadly… Huh? Now that she thought about it, she could almost really, _really_ smell yakisoba.

Sakura stood up quickly. She could actually _smell_ dinner!

------------

"Ne… where's the new boy, Kino?" Kikumaru asked while munching on his fish. "We're already half way through dinner, he's going to miss the main course if he doesn't hurry. Hey Eriol, you don't suppose he's lost do you?"

The sapphire-eyed boy frowned. "He might be," Eriol said slowly. "Perhaps it'd be best if I went out to go look for him. The Academy can often prove to be quite a maze even for people who've stayed here their entire lives."

"Don't bother going, Eriol," Syaoran said suddenly, startling the others. They all stared at him as he continued to eat. They waited for a few long moments before he finally said. "That idiot, Kino, is probably so hungry right now that his _nose_ will lead him here. It won't be long now."

"Ano… and what if he _doesn't_ manage to find the main hall, Li?" Yamazaki asked, laughing. "I certainly wouldn't want to miss dinner if I had a day like _his_."

Just that moment, the main door of the hall opened and they looked up to see a very relieved Sakura standing in the doorway.

"Oi!! Kino!! Over here!" Andou called loudly over the din. "We were wondering if you'd gone and died after a day of sparring with Li! Get over here." They all laughed good-naturedly.

Too relieved to retort, Sakura simply sunk onto the zabuton next to Eriol's. "I'm so HUNGRY!!" she groaned before immediately seizing the bowl a servant had placed in front of her and shoving mouthfuls of noodles down her throat rapidly.

"We still have gentleman's class after this, Kino," Andou grinned. "Don't eat too quickly or you'll have an upset stomach. The manners master doesn't take kindly to the phrase 'I need to take a dump'."

Somehow, Sakura managed to spit out the words "Shut it", in between mouthfuls, and they all laughed again. Syaoran alone out of all of them did not even crack a smile. Instead, he merely observed her quietly, a frown on his face, as if thinking something over very seriously.

As it turned out, it had been a good thing she'd eaten as fast as she could. The gong rang not ten minutes later, and Sakura left the hall, her stomach perfectly satisfied. She would have been very happy if it were not for her fear of reentering the darkness outside where ghosts might be lurking. If Eriol noticed that she stuck a bit closer to him than before, he refrained from commenting.

Sakura felt much better as she stumbled into the light-filled room. To her surprise, this place was neither a dojo nor a classroom, but instead a spacious and fancy reception room, with zabutons lined up in two rows down the length of the room and a single cushion at the head of the lines. When she shot Eriol a confused look, he laughed out loud. "This is the _gentleman's_ class Kura-san, of course we would have to take our lessons in an appropriate setting," he explained.

"Oh, I see," she said. "Then, is there assigned seating in this class?"

The others looked slightly surprised. "Kino… seating is by rank of course. Not only for the students of this Academy, but that's the standard procedure for almost all formal occasions," a raven-haired Kudou added. "But as the new student, you'll probably be placed in a seat of honor and treated as a guest until you receive your rank, but it'd be most polite to seat yourself at the end to begin with."

"I'm just not used to non-female seating – ah! I mean, seating without females present, of course," Sakura corrected quickly, her eyes swerving to Syaoran's stoic expression. When he obviously didn't have any intention of paying her words any attention, she looked away. Perhaps the cool wind at the bath _had_ been due to the vents after all.

Eriol merely smiled at her small blunder and gestured toward the last zabuton.

When they had all taken their seats, Sakura was not surprised to find Syaoran and Eriol sitting facing each other on opposite sides at the front of the lines of seats. From there on, everyone sat according to the color of his wristband rank. A tall, handsome man strode into the room and took his seat at the front zabuton. Sakura's first impression of him was that he seemed to walk as if on air. His footsteps made no sounds, and there was barely any rustling of fabric as he sat gracefully down in front of them.

When the man she assumed to be their instructor turned to smile at her, Sakura instantly felt an inexplicable cold chill shiver down her spine. What was going on?

"Please, Kino-kun. As you are our new student, you must have a special seat seeing as today is your own special day. If you will please excuse me, I have taken the liberty of reviewing your personal information a few moments ago, and I think its extraordinary that your first day here happens to coincide with your birthday," The teacher clapped his hands grandly, and immediately a servant came, holding a zabuton in his hands, and laid the cushion down to the instructor's right. "If you would please," he said smoothly, motioning to the new seat next to him.

Careful to stand as neatly as possible, Sakura held her breath as she made her way across the room and next to the teacher. She remembered to make a proper bow to him before taking her seat. "You do me too much honor, sensei," she mumbled respectfully. Somehow, being so near this man was putting her on her guard. Sakura remembered the warning her father had once given her as a child.

"A handsome face and pretty manners are all very well and pleasant, but the more cunning the enemy the more formidable the façade."

This person definitely had a handsome face and pretty manners, but still she wasn't charmed.

"Very good," he said, nodding at her formalities. "You may address me as Li-sensei. Now, let us begin class. As you have probably already heard from your peers, the purpose of this class is to teach our students how to behave in formal occasions. This includes not only manner fitting of noblemen our rank, but also diplomatic etiquette."

Sakura stared wordlessly at him. The moment he had mentioned his surname, she had immediately looked over at Syaoran. Were they, perhaps, related? But when Li-sensei finished speaking, the class became silent, and Sakura became aware that everyone was looking at her. Had she missed something?

Sakura felt a panic seize her and she looked up at him nervously. "Hai, Li-sensei," she murmured, chancing a guess at what she was supposed to do. This seemed to satisfy her newest teacher, and he went back to addressing the entire class.

"Today we will continue our lesson on the proper way to address different types of opponents. However, I have a surprise for you starting next week that I'm sure you will all enjoy," he said, smiling his grand smile. "Now, does anyone know how one ought to address an enemy of equal or higher rank?"

His dark brown eyes surveyed the room patiently until someone raised their hand. Sakura nearly stood up in surprise as she realized why those wooden, brown eyes had put her so off balance. They were the same eyes as Syaoran's… and those belonging to the scar-faced man. But there was no scar on his face.

"Yes, Yamazaki-kun?" he asked. Sakura thought that even his voice moved with incredible flourish. He was extremely polite and seemingly kind, yet she had felt safer when standing next to Syaoran, someone who had thrashed her from morning to evening.

The dark-haired boy answered cheerfully, "One must address him according to the title his own people address him, out of respect." Sakura looked around the room, observing the other students' reactions. No one else seemed as uneasy as she felt… perhaps she was simply tired?

"Very well said, Yamazaki-kun," he said. "Although a more unrefined enemy might attempt to mock you by disregarding formalities, _you_ must never lower your own standards to meet his or hers."

The lesson continued for a while on the same topic, and Sakura found herself only half paying attention. Although the customs taught here were slightly different than those of the South, Sakura's father had trained her in every formal decorum she would ever need, whether she was at home greeting neighbors or exchanging in diplomatic relations with Northerners. She had, of course, learned them from a girl's point of view though.

Li-sensei's lesson had ended rather uneventfully, and as the students left the room, Sakura had a thoughtful frown on her face. She stole over to where Eriol was and whispered a question that had bothered her the entire lesson.

"Ne Eriol, is the teacher related to Li?" she asked quietly.

Eriol nodded gravely. "He is Syaoran's older brother, Li Dairan," he told her in a hushed tone. After a moment's pause he continued. "The two do not get along very well, so it'd be best if you didn't mention Dairan to Syaoran."

"They don't get along well?" Sakura asked, confused.

"Ah, it is more like Syaoran dislikes his brother…" Eriol struggled to find the best words to explain. "Disapproves of him, actually. They are rather different, don't you think?"

Her emerald eyes glanced over to where Syaoran's back was facing them, several paces ahead. "Yes, they're not similar at all."

That night when she went to bed, Sakura dreamt of three identical pairs of dark brown eyes. Two of them had closed in on her with malicious intent, and she had heard two indistinct voices she would later in the morning decide belonged to the scar-faced man and Syaoran's brother, Dairan. But the third pair of eyes had swept in before the other two could hurt her and had protected her.

Unlike the two other eyes, the voice coming from the last pair was clear, and she recognized it right away. The last pair of eyes had belonged to Li Syaoran.

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**Haha. How was it? I know that this was a LONG first day of school… maybe I'll go back and condense it some other time, but I really wanted all of you to get a good picture of the life Sakura is going to live at the Academy. How did I do?**

**Please review! Oh, and just a reminder, anonymous reviews are now allowed on my stories… sorry about that! **

Dairan – maybe you've noticed, but the "ran" part of this new (self-invented) character's name is similar to Syao**ran**. Syaoran's name translates to Xiaolang in Chinese, which means, "little wolf". Therefore, Dairan's name translates to Dalang in Chinese, which would mean "big wolf" or "top wolf". That's where I came up with his name! I know, a bit unoriginal, isn't it?

A/N: Just as a side note, the name Yelan translates to Yelang in Chinese, which is the most correct way to say "wolf". Just thought you might like to know.

zabuton – seat cushion Japanese people use to kneel on

ano – um

oi – hey!

ne - hey…

furo – bath

hai – yes

arigatou – thank you


	7. Rank

**Disclaimer: The characters of this story belong to CLAMP. I have **_**no**_** money, so please don't bother suing! **

**Thanks to everyone reviewing to me! They mean a lot… and I need all the encouragement I can get so I don't fall back into my bad habit of leaving stories unfinished…**

**As the "first day at school" is finally over, I hope you're all eager to see what happens next. Ready? Drum roll please…. Dum dum dum dum!!!!! The SECOND day of school! Yayyyy!!! Haha. Just kidding. **

**Have fun reading!**

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**Inscribed In The Blade**

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**Chapter Seven**

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Syaoran was finding it impossible to sleep that night. The soft whimpers coming from his new housemate's room were indeed quiet, but with his own room just down the hall and his hearing sensitive to even the smallest noises, he had difficulty drifting off.

Or so he told himself. Syaoran stubbornly refused to accept any other reason for his agitation, and blatantly ignored the fact that the real reason he was incapable of rest was because his mind was still racing at an incredible speed. No matter how much he told himself this new bit of information was _not_ something worth losing sleep over, the rest of him seemed to disagree. Syaoran remained, regrettably, wide-awake.

After several long minutes of contemplation, he finally gave up, got up out of his futon and walked silently over to Kino Kura's room. Without making a sound, Syaoran slowly slid the door to the new student's room open a few inches and stared at the dark, sleeping figure lying on the floor.

His eyebrows knitted together as he frowned deeply. How could it be that this person, so much more talented than most of the boys in the Academy, was just a girl? He had watched this "Kino Kura" closely the entire day, and Syaoran had thought that he… she had shown some decent promise. When it came time for ranking, this skinny female would surely be promoted directly to the second rank.

At first Syaoran had been interested, almost eager that a new boy with such ability had entered the Academy, yet what was he supposed to think now? The young Li heir scowled. Even at that very moment he knew that the new student had to be turned in, and usually Syaoran would not have hesitated in doing so. This lying woman had no right to flout the laws and standards upholding the Academy.

And yet… though the boy… _girl_ had made mistakes during the day, to learn the dragon form with in an hour and to actually hold her own against him on horseback, not to mention the way she held her sword…

"Who _are_ you?" Syaoran muttered darkly, still glaring angrily at the sleeping girl. Women had no business meddling in the affairs of men, and more importantly, their incompetence was unsuited for the battlefield. What was a Duke's daughter doing so far away from home in a military academy? Curiosity alone kept her identity a secret, and even his interest was fast waning at the pitiable sniffling coming from the sleeping female.

Syaoran had already doubted several times that day, wondering if he had simply imagined a pair of breasts on that skinny body when he had accidentally walked in on his… her… bath. However, second-guessing himself was not part of Syaoran's nature and he _knew_ he had seen it perfectly clearly, even through the heavy curls of steam.

A mere slip of a girl, yet with more talent than many of the others combined… what other secrets was she hiding? Syaoran wanted to know. She had actually been _holding back_ during their kenjutsu fight earlier. Why would anyone, let alone _she_, hold back against him?

Syaoran's eyes narrowed as another small groan came from the sleeping figure. For the moment, he would observe. In any case, it was inevitable that she would be found out very soon.

Frustrated, Syaoran shut the door a bit more loudly than he ought to have, but he guessed that Kino was in too deep a sleep to even notice. All he had to do was turn her in or leave her alone. This person, no matter how much ability she had, was just a girl and just another person. He had more important things to be concentrating on.

Convinced, Syaoran walked back down the hall towards his room. This person was just someone sharing the same dojo as him. She was neither his friend nor his responsibility. There was no reason for him to waste any more thought on her.

He returned to his futon quietly, and blew the candle in his lamp out, prepared to enjoy the sleep, which had eluded him for hours before.

"Kino Kura," he muttered under his breath. "Kura… Kura… probably a Sakura, then." Syaoran stopped abruptly, cursing as he realized that his train of thought had once again returned to the sleeping girl's side.

------------

The rest of the week progressed much more quickly than Sakura thought it would have. She excelled in the classes she had assumed she would do well in, and she did badly in the classes she had always disliked. Sakura was even becoming accustomed to the constant aching and exhaustion.

The biggest surprise was, perhaps, the fact that their archery lessons was taught by the only female teacher in the entire school, Mizuki Kaho-sensei. She was a young woman still in her twenties, but her aim was better than even Syaoran's. Sakura had thought that Mizuki-sensei was very much like Yukito-san, and had liked her on sight.

During her first conversation with the young swords instructor, Sakura had only time to quickly explain her situation and the reason she was there before scrambling off to join the others. Upon their second, more private chat, Yukito had, as she expected, insisted that she return home immediately.

"I'm very sorry about Fujitaka-sama and Nadeshiko-sama, but this is far too dangerous for you!" he had said, and it was then that his words made Sakura sink down in relief. "And Touya would kill me if he knew I allowed you to stay here. I'm sending you home as soon as I can make excuses to Yelan-sama."

Sakura had openly stared, her bottom lip trembling. "Is… is Onii-chan _alive_?" she had whispered. "He's okay? You know where he is?"

"Sakura-chan…" Yukito stared at her, wide-eyed. "What do you mean? Of course Touya is alive. He's currently investigating something very… _very_ critical for the South, and I've been stationed here to keep an eye over the Northern Academy. He should return within a few months time. Mizuki Kaho is another cohort of ours, whom I introduced upon your brother's departure to take over as the archery master."

The conversation had continued, and once Sakura had been reassured several times that her brother was, indeed, safe, she regained her momentum and promptly refused at point blank to leave the Academy. If Touya was too busy keeping the country out of war, then it was up to her to avenge their parents' deaths.

In the end she had half-won over, half-forced Yukito into skeptical agreement. He still wasn't happy about it, but Sakura knew that he would never give her away if she refused to go home. It was that kind, understanding aspect of her brother's childhood friend, and her former childhood crush, that she adored so much.

Sakura fiddled with the feathers on her arrow as she set it to the bow, aimed, and let it fly. But she wondered why Yukito had advised her to not reveal her identity to Mizuki-sensei. If she was, as he said, a comrade, why should Sakura not look to her for help as well?

He had mentioned something about how Mizuki's loyalties which, though technically with the South, remained rather obscure. Apparently she'd been brought to the Academy for him to keep an eye on her, but Sakura found it impossible to not trust the beautiful archery instructor. She was just so… so… so much like Yukito!

Sakura blushed happily as Mizuki-sensei praised her perfect aim before continuing over to the other students. She had always excelled at archery at home since Yukito had helped her perfect her technique as a child.

And, she thought happily as she continued to practice, she was allowed to blush around Mizuki-sensei as much as she liked. It was weird for her to seem too attached to Yukito, but many of the other guys were head-over-heels in love with her as well, and so Sakura was free to admire the archery instructor as much as she wanted.

"Oi! Kino!" the boy named Andou called over to her. "Yue-sensei is looking for you! You'd better head over to his chambers right now."

"Thanks," she called back before pulling her bow onto her shoulder. Her heart skipped a beat as she wondered what she could have done to warrant Yue's summon to his office. She'd been at the school for roughly a week, and it hadn't taken long for her to realize that Yue was not only a teacher not to be trifled with, but also _extremely _important. He was the head instructor at the school, his position lower than only Yelan-sama's.

Nervously, Sakura waited as the maid brought her to Yue's office. "Kino-sama is here to see you," the servant woman bowed to her before kneeling and sliding the shoji door open.

"Come in, Kino," Yue's deep, commanding voice said, and Sakura obeyed.

"Yue-sensei," she said, bowing low.

"Do you know why I have called you here, Kino?" he said, his silver eyes not even glancing at her as he read a stack of papers in front of him.

Sakura stared at him, puzzled. Had she done something wrong? "No sir," she responded.

"Very well. Has anyone explained to you the purpose of ranking in our Academy?" he asked, setting his papers down and walking over to her.

So that's what this was about. Sakura felt her nerves loosen. "Yes sir. Eriol-kun… Hiiragizawa-kun explained it to me." With many inputs from the other boys, she added mentally.

"Good," he said nodding. "Then you must know that most boys begin with a white-band as their first ranking."

Sakura nodded respectfully. The truth was, she was rather excited to get her first white band. Her seat would probably not change during classes, but at least she would finally officially become one of their number. Not having anything on her wrist made her feel like a probationer, and being a probationer when she was already hiding her identity made her uneasy.

"Then," Yue continued. "You ought to be very grateful to all your instructors. You have been assigned the second rank, red band."

For a minute she stared at him, stupefied. Even though Syaoran had said during her first lunch at the Academy that she would not begin as a white band, she had been sure he hadn't been serious… or rather had meant that she deserved no ranking whatsoever.

"B-But," Sakura stuttered. "I'm not that good in math and I've never once beat Syaoran in a spar or in _anything_."

To her utmost surprise, Yue… _the_ Yue smiled at her. "If you had defeated Li Syaoran even once you would be deserving of a black band. Your rank has been earned, Kino. As for your math lessons… and weaponry classes, I will arrange for supplementary classes on Saturday after your chores. Otherwise, you have performed satisfactorily. Tsukishiro-sensei, Mizuki-sensei, and Terada-sensei were extremely adamant about your being made a second rank." The tall instructor, and (as Sakura had heard) ex-general of the North hesitated a moment before saying, "And your progress in my own class has been remarkable. I would have never thought it possible for a student other than Li and Hiiragizawa to learn the dragon form in one day."

He handed her the red necklace. "You may go now," Yue concluded, motioning carelessly towards the door. "The servant need not see you out, you can find your own way."

She could _more_ than find her own way. Sakura nearly ran out of Yue's rooms with glee as she clutched the proof that she was officially a student at the Academy to her chest. As soon as she was outside, she wrapped it delicately around her wrist and raised it up to the sun to let the charm catch the light.

A _second_ rank… and Yue had actually _complimented_ her! Sakura hadn't been there for long, but she knew well enough that a compliment from the usually stony instructor was definitely something not easily procured. Sakura had an extra skip to her step as she returned to catch up with the others as they headed over to their next class.

At lunch, the guys all pounced on her, Eriol congratulating her happily while Andou and Kikumaru took turns prodding at her and ruffling her hair. "Ah, we always knew you had it in you," Yamazaki laughed loudly. "I mean, even Syaoran said that you definitely wouldn't start as a white band. You're the third guy our year to skip white band the first ranking around, and the other two were Li and Eriol, who both jumped straight to black."

"Yeah, that's right. You're in your own category you little twerp," Andou yelled cheerfully, while proceeding to turn Sakura's formerly well-combed hair into a messy ball of tangles. Sakura was too relieved to even bother stop him. After her initial happiness, Sakura had begun to worry whether the others would think badly of her for being "special", but they all seemed to be taking it rather well.

"Well I don't see why, if Kino got to second rank immediately, _I_ shouldn't have been an automatic second rank too," Kudou sulked in the corner, and Sakura laughed nervously. She had let go fo her apprehension too soon.

"Ah, just because you're a military genius and great with books doesn't mean the teachers will favor you, Kudou. I mean, Yamato-sensei is practically in love with you, and being on equal standing in that class with Li definitely _helps_, but it's impossible for you to be an automatic second with your sword skills. I mean, even _Sadoharu_ is better than you!" Kikumaru snorted.

"Well Sadoharu is _huge_," Kudou mumbled under his breath, but when he saw Sakura staring at him, he waved her off absentmindedly. "I'm not mad at _you_ Kino, but I just figured that since this is a _military_ Academy, tactics should count a bit _more_ than swordplay."

"Brains and brawns are equally important as a general," Eriol laughed before taking a long sip of green tea. "But sorry Kudou, today isn't going to be military tactics, it's gentleman's class."

"_What_?" they all asked, staring at him. Sakura managed to speak first after their initial shock. "How do you know, Eriol?"

"He knows because _I_ told him," Syaoran spoke suddenly, and everyone but Eriol and Sakura jumped as a reflex. They weren't used to Syaoran speaking often, though he was catching them off guard and gracing them with short, terse comments a bit more than usual as of late. "Yamato-sensei is sick today, and _that man_ jumped at the chance to announce his 'surprise' to us a day early."

Sakura groaned out loud and her slumped her shoulders. The other boys look at her in surprise. "Don't you like Li-sensei's class, Kino?" Andou asked curiously.

"It's not that I don't like his classes," she defended, instantly wary of her own, strange reaction. "It's just that I really like Yamato-sensei's class is all. Military tactics is really interesting since I've never learned anything about that subject before." She couldn't explain to the rest of them, who all seemed to rather enjoy Syaoran's older brother's presence, that she felt uneasy whenever she was by him. But military tactics _was_ an interesting class. Usually they all stood around a spread map of Japan, and Yamato-sensei explained why they dispatched certain troops where, and the North's theories about what the South was doing.

It was very insightful information… Sakura felt her liveliness cool a little at the thought. It would certainly be beneficial to her people if she managed to bring such information back to the South after taking care of the scar-faced man, and yet she felt oddly disquieted at the notion.

She gazed at everyone silently from the corner of her eye. These boys – they were, most of them at least, honestly treating her as a friend and comrade. Sakura did not know much about Northerners, how and when they were supposed to turn from innocent youths to cold and greedy politicians who only wanted power, but the people around her were not evil yet. It would be no use to allow herself to become attached, and Sakura knew this. However, using what she had learned here against _them_ seemed a bit too much like deception – though she was deceiving them, already. Betrayal – that is what it would be. As far as lying about her identity, Sakura was not a traitor since she was never one of them to begin with. Stealing military tactics from her friends and teachers would certainly be betrayal.

Of course, she should have, _had _prepared herself for this all along. Sakura was here for revenge, not to sow favors.

"I wonder if his surprise has anything to do with those noble-born girls staying with us," Andou remarked while chewing his food thoughtfully. "I sure hope it does."

That night when they all entered Dairan's classroom, they were surprised to see that nothing seemed to have changed. "I was thinking his surprise would be something a bit more… dramatic," Yamazaki mumbled disappointedly. "Li-sensei usually likes to do things in style."

"Style, as you so kindly put it, Yamazaki-kun," he suddenly appeared behind them and they all moved to the side in surprise to allow him passage while bowing. "Will come later on. We must begin from the basics, I want you _all_ very well prepared for the upcoming event."

Dairan took his seat at the front and the rest of them quickly followed suit. As in other classes, the white bands had obligingly moved one seat over to allow Sakura a place at the end of the second rank group. His dark brown eyes, so similar to Syaoran's, took all of this in quietly, and he looked at her for a long moment, as if reassessing her.

"Congratulations on your promotion, Kino-kun," he said clearly. "But then, you truly _are_ a remarkable sort of boy aren't you?"

Sakura found herself made extremely uncomfortable by his comment, which seemed absent of all warmth. She merely replied with a soft, " You do me too much honor, sensei."

He gave her one last, scrutinizing gaze before turning back to the rest of the group. "As you are all aware, within a couple months, young ladies from the Daidouji Institution for Noblewomen will be coming to stay in the Academy until spring. This visit is composed not only of casual meetings, but of course lavish parties and events."

When no one spoke her continued," You will _all_" – his eyes flickered over to Syaoran's immobile figure – "be expected to treat these young ladies in the most gentleman-like behavior possible. This includes not only the usual trifles of politeness, but also accompanying them to events. While it is only mandatory to have a partner during the last party, I myself will be mingling within the social circles and will grade each of you depending upon how well you engage the young ladies in conversation, etc. Any questions?"

A flurry of talking immediately ensued, but Sakura merely remained silent and fidgeted in her kneeling position. Escorting a partner to a party while playing the role of a male? This would prove a bit awkward, she was sure.

"Hey Li-sensei, are the girls from the Daidouji Institute good looking?" Andou asked, a cheeky grin on his face.

Sakura didn't hear the response, but a thought hit her and she brightened immediately. Daidouji… _the Daidouji_ Institute? But that meant her cousin Tomoyo was there! If she partnered with Tomoyo-chan, they would have so much fun! Even though the Daidouji Institute was in the North, the Daidouji's were from the South and were strictly neutral to both sides. She hadn't seen Tomoyo-chan in _years_.

Cheerfully, Sakura looked around the room watching the reactions of others. Most of them looked excited, Eriol was smiling his mysterious smile as always, and Syaoran… why was he _smirking_ at her with an amused expression on his face? She glared back at him and, making sure that the instructor wasn't looking, stuck her tongue out at him.

His expression immediately hardened and he simply glowered coldly back at her, but she shrugged and turned to listen to Li-sensei as he began speaking again. Four nights ago, Sakura had been stupid enough to actually take Eriol's advice and ask Syaoran for help with math. Before, he had given her his math book to work from after he finished, but he had never offered to help explain the problems. That would be the first and the last time she ever attempted something so futile again. The arrogant prick had actually had the nerve to slam the door in her face!

Sakura puffed her cheeks out angrily at the memory, as Dairan continued to explain what sorts of events would soon be taking place. Most of the time Syaoran simply left her alone, and she usually didn't go to seek his company since he was so off-putting. Eriol and the others told her that he must actually like her a lot to pay her any attention at all, but Sakura found the occasional comment on how poorly she was doing an unlikely sign of friendship.

True to his word, Syaoran had never allowed her to use the bath first, blatantly ignored her embarrassing attempts at conversation, and had even gone as far as to hint to Yukito that she might need to find a different partner.

Yukito had, of course, not taken the hint, but Sakura wasn't sure she was happy or unhappy about that fact. She would definitely beat Syaoran down one day… but having such a stoic and strong partner was not only depressing, but also resulted in several new, ugly bruises coloring her skin each day.

There _had_ been that one time she'd missed dinner because of chores her first Saturday there, and a bowl of steamed rice had been waiting in her room. But Sakura wasn't even sure that had been him, and for all she knew, it could have been a thoughtful maid. When she'd asked Eriol about it the next day, he'd denied having any hand in it so…

Sakura sighed softly.

"What's wrong, Kura-san?" Eriol asked, startling her out of her reverie. To her surprise (and slight mortification), the rest of the class had already stood up to leave, and some of them were staring at her strangely.

"Ah, leave him alone Eriol," Andou joked. "His head's probably still revolving around that new red band of his." Sakura forced herself to laugh as she ran over to join the others.

Andou smacked Yamazaki for saying something ridiculous once again, and Sakura could not help but laugh along with them. The other boys, she thought as she watched everyone but Syaoran and herself walk over to the dorms, were friendly to her. She hated to admit it… she never should have done it… but she liked them. They had already become her friends, her companions. And after receiving this red band, she was officially one of them.

Perhaps this really wasn't a good idea, after all. Certainly, blending in was of the utmost importance, but if she really did manage to get emotions involved, the pain would just increase. The truth was, she was _lying_ to them. Not only was she a girl masquerading as a boy, but she was their _enemy_ – she was from the South. She listened in on their military battle plans every other night and had acquainted herself with some of the next leaders of the North's highest-ranking families.

All of a sudden, Sakura wondered what it would be like if these people around her _never_ became the horrible people who wanted to fight against the South just to gain more wealth and territory. What if they remained exactly how they were, young and unassuming? The Northerners she had met so far seemed human enough, with the exception of her beloved sparring partner, who was in fact, superhuman. How had these people changed… or if it wasn't _them_, then _who_ was responsible for pushing their nation to the brink of civil war?

They'd hate her, she realized with a sudden chill. If… _when_ they found out about her identity, since it was inevitable that it would one day leak that the Duke Kino had no son, they would hate her and call her a traitor. It really served her right though. It probably wouldn't even matter to her as long as she got her revenge in the end, Sakura though darkly. There was a hate burning in her chest that she could but obey. There was no use pretending that she was the sweet girl she once was. Good people did not go around plotting the death of other people. She was not a good person.

When she finally reached the dojo, it was apparent that Syaoran had beaten her there, not that she expected him to wait and walk with her. Sakura could see the candlelight shining through the paper door of his room. One thing at least she would never be guilty of. The daughter of a well-respected Southern aristocratic family had run away three months before Sakura's parents had been assassinated to, supposedly, marry a man named Terada in the North. Sakura had been friends with Rika for a long time, but she'd never guessed such a sweet, soft-spoken girl was capable of such betrayal.

…not that she was one to talk. But at least she could spare her family the pain of having her fall in love with a Northern boy. She wouldn't be betraying _her_ people at least.

"That's right, Sakura," she whispered to herself. "Remember. You're here for one thing and one thing only – to take revenge on the scar-faced man who killed your parents."

Yes. All this North-South political jumble was neither her priority nor her concern.

Feeling strangely refreshed and relieved, Sakura retrieved her katana from her room. Her mind was now clear and she was in the mood to practice some of her sword fighting.

To her surprise, when she went outside, it was raining. Cursing her bad luck, Sakura backtracked into the dojo. Normally she wouldn't mind practicing in the rain, but she couldn't afford to get sick and miss lessons at the Academy. Missing lessons would cause her to fall too far behind.

But then again, this was a dojo wasn't it? A reckless grin began to make its way onto her face. Could she make it to the center practice room without Syaoran noticing? It was already rather late, and he would probably be sleeping soon.

As quietly as she could, Sakura tiptoed down the hall and opened the double doors that would lead her to the main dojo room. She checked to see that the light from Syaoran's room had already gone out before closing the doors and lighting the lamps in the dojo with her own candle.

"Now…" she said quietly as she walked to the center of the room and drew her sword from its sheath. "The first step."

Unlike the succession of curved blows she used during Yukito's class, Sakura immediately began swinging her blade around in an intricate pattern. This was the start of her dance. Her katana moved around quicker and quicker until it was a beautiful silver blur in the air in front of her.

Sakura began moving slowly around the room as she rotated her arm around her body, occasionally bending her back and to allow her sword to cut the air on top of her and switching hands to complete the deadly circle. It provided her with almost flawless defense, and gave her a powerful offense as well.

Even if the beauty of her sword's dance did not mesmerize her opponent, it would not take long for him to come to respect the danger it posed to any adversary of hers. _This_ was her technique. The kenjutsu style handed down to the females of her family, the Sakura Dance, was composed of a series of "steps", each deadlier and more mysterious than the next. Her father had always said that she was the perfect successor.

Because he was a male, her father, Fujitaka, had not been taught the Sakura Dance, but the ancient philosophy behind it had long ago been encased in a scroll to pass down to future generations, so for Sakura, this was self-taught, and her skill was still far from complete. It would probably take her a lifetime to master such a complicated technique.

Even her blade had been custom made for her, and was much lighter and more well balanced than most. In order to properly dance, the katana had to be lithe and as weightless as a feather, yet still strong. Sakura loved her sword as any samurai loved an extension of his soul. Although her sword was still perhaps a bit too heavy for the Sakura dance, Sakura was determined to make up for its shortcomings with her own hard work.

"The second step," she whispered, and immediately her movements began to pick up speed. Sakura, quite literally, began twirling across the floor with her sword never stopping its complicated pattern. The second step involved some jumps and flips as well as turns, and it was much faster and much more difficult than the first.

Sakura had begun to sweat as she concentrated. Somehow she felt the movements were supposed to flow much more smoothly from her body, but something still felt _lacking_. A few days before her mother had been killed, Sakura had shown Nadeshiko the scroll holding the secrets of the Sakura Dance.

Her mother had read the entire scroll without a single word for six hours straight before handing it back to Sakura with a smile. "There are some parts of it I do not understand," Nadeshiko had said kindly as she returned the scroll to her daughter. "But this dance is most certainly a pas de deux, it's truly a beautiful dance, Sakura. One day your duet shall be complete."

She had promised to tell Sakura what she meant a few days later, but before those "few days" were up, Nadeshiko, together with her husband, had been murdered.

Sakura's grip on her katana tightened and a few tears fell down her cheeks as she remembered her mother's warm smile. She missed them both so much… and "pas de deux" was most definitely a foreign word. Sakura knew that her mother had extensive knowledge of foreign cultures despite their nation's isolation, since her side of the family had kept European records safe even after the old emperor's attempt to purge them.

She might never know the meaning of "pas de deux", and what her mother had meant to tell her, but Sakura was sure that she would not have minded if Nadeshiko was still alive.

Sakura bit her lip before saying, "The third step!" After such swift, rapid movements, the dance seemed almost as if to stop, but in truth the third step was simply executed at a slower pace. It required far too much effort from her arms and legs for her to dash as quickly about the room as she had before.

Sakura struggled, and her muscles began to tighten as she deliberately reduced the speed of her sword and gave each stroke of the blade's pattern much more force and much more finesse. There was a power there now that had not been there before. If a beam of wood had stood in front of her, her katana would have cut its pattern straight through it. Then, with great effort, Sakura bent her left knee so that her thigh was almost parallel to the ground and lifted her right leg to step back behind her, before bending her right leg and lifting her left.

She moved in a circular design around the floor as she continued to rotate. Sakura was, with her feet, making the same patter her sword made in the air on the floor.

Sakura concentrated very hard, and her long eyelashes had to blink furiously several times to keep the sweat out of them, but within a few minutes time she dropped her sword and collapsed on the floor, covered in sweat.

Why was it so difficult? She'd spent hours and hours, day after day, trying to continue past the third step, yet she was still no closer to reaching the tenth and final step than she was over a year ago. Progress had been slow after the first step, and, as she lay there, exhausted, Sakura began to wonder if it was even feasible for her to ever master her ancestors' legacy.

Her mother had seemed to _know_ something. If only she could turn back time and keep that scar-faced man from finishing off her parents… none of her present difficulties would be here right now. She could be at home, training and perfecting her technique, basking in the warm love of her precious parents.

Sakura forced herself into a sitting position, even though her legs remained tangled under her. She hung her head heavily, and her auburn tresses came undone and splayed out in front of her, over her head. Then, quite unwillingly, Sakura began to cry, never noticing the pair of dark brown eyes staring at her from the dojo's entranceway.

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**Well, how was that? I know, another cliffhanger. Don't kill me! Just review so I'll update faster! XD**

onii-chan – older brother

otou-san – father

okaa-san – mother

kenjutsu – sword fighting

mou – geez…


	8. The First Signs of Attraction

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**So how was the last chapter? Thank you to everyone who reviewed! It really helps encourage me to keep writing instead of slipping back into my old habit of updating once every six months. **

**Just to answer a question, I used a ballet term (French) because, unfortunately, the Japanese language does not have many… dance terms for me to use. **

**Well, I wish you all the best, and I hope you will enjoy this chapter too!**

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Eight**

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_Would he ever shut up?_

"And she has the prettiest eyes too! Hey Eriol, did I tell you about my girl, Misaki?" Andou slung his arm around a seemingly calm sapphire-eyed boy.

"Why yes, Tsubasa-kun. You _did_ mention her a few times," Eriol's words were polite, but there was a steel edge to his voice that warned the overeager Andou Tsubasa that he would regret continuing.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "About a million times is more like it," she muttered under her breath, but Andou heard her. "Don't be such a spoilsport Kino," he grinned coming up behind her and ruffling her hair. This gesture had become a particular habit of his. "I mean, I just got a letter from her yesterday saying that she's coming over with the Daidouji Institute girls, can you blame me if I'm excited?"

The entire group rounded on him and gave a forceful, united "YES!".

"Well fine then," he sulked shuffling over to the back of the group. "Don't blame me when I don't ask Misaki to help introduce the rest of you to other girls."

Sakura let out a long sigh and turned to Eriol. "Was Li-sensei really _serious_ about us having to escort girls around? I mean… it's bad enough that we actually have to _show up_ at the party scene."

"Don't you like social events Kino?" Yamazaki asked from behind them. Eriol, too, looked surprised. "I thought you enjoyed mingling with others, Kura-san," he said.

"It's not that I _dislike_ socials," Sakura said slowly. How could she explain that having to escort a girl around when she, _herself_, was a female was an extremely awkward and uncomfortable thing to do?

"Who would have thought the feminine Kino was actually shy around women?" Syaoran commented in a low voice, a smirk on his face. He gazed over at her amusedly from beside Eriol and taunted, "Do they make you feel uncomfortable?" _He was laughing at her!_

Sakura glared straight back at him. "It's not like that! Formal gatherings are just a bother, and they're so _stiff_," then she added as an afterthought. "Like _you_."

The cheerful chatter that had just seconds ago been carried along quite effortlessly, suddenly stopped, and everyone was staring back and forth between her and Syaoran. No one except for Eriol had ever directed an outright insult at Li Syaoran. Granted, the new student had never backed down from the Li heir's sharp tongue, matching his sarcasm with sarcasm, and they were all still getting used to _that_, but _this_ was…

Syaoran's eyes narrowed, but the smirk did not disappear. _The silly girl was really an endless source of amusement. _"Is that so, Kino," he said before pausing and looking her over slowly, as if he was the predator and she, his prey. Syaoran leaned in so that his mouth was next to her ear. "Then let's have a bet," he whispered huskily.

Immediately, Sakura sprung apart from him, stepping back from him shakily. **What** was _that_? Her cheeks were flaming and her heart was thumping, but kami damn it all, he was _still_ smirking at her! "What kind of bet?" she asked suspiciously, not sure why she felt so strange all of a sudden. It was as if her stomach was doing back flips, but all he had done was _talk _to her! She wasn't _scared_ of him, was she?

It was unlike him, Syaoran knew. Even though he had discovered that she was a female, it was not his habit to toy with people in general. Still, he could not help the small spark of sadism that came over him whenever a particular opportunity to fluster his new dojomate presented itself. She really elicit such strange emotions from him. "Prove to me that you're not shy around women, _bishounen_, and there will no punishment for using the training hall in my dojo without permission," Syaoran stated clearly.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, feeling her heart drop. Had he _seen_ her dance or had he simply been aware that she was in the training hall?

"I told you very clearly that the only room you have any right to be in is your own. Or did it slip your mind?" There was a hint of expression in his eyes, but Sakura couldn't quite make it out. Was he angry?

Her throat felt very dry. This was the second time, the second time Syaoran had almost discovered who she was. Was it simply a coincidence? But surely he would turn her in immediately if…

Sakura's next question she asked warily, acutely aware that everyone else was listening intently to their conversation. "What does this bet entail?"

"There is a certain _special_ contest, which takes place towards the end of Spring when the girls from the Daidouji Institute leave. The winner of that contest will be the winner of this bet," Syaoran explained, his piercing gaze never leaving her face.

"What kind of contest?" she repeated, irritated by his obvious taunting. "It's not fair if you have the advantage of knowing what the contest is beforehand and I don't."

To both of their surprises, Eriol cut in to explain. "This integration of the Daidouji Institute and the Academy has been a long-standing tradition that takes place every eight years. Of course all of the teachers and instructors, and of course, Yelan-sama and Daidouji-sama themselves will be not only taking part in these social events and parties, but will also be judging." And with his interruption, all the tension that had been in the air seemingly dissipated. Sakura let go of the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"What're they judging?" Yamazaki asked, and they all leaned in curiously.

"The Lord and Lady of the hanamatsuri of course," he said cheerfully, ignoring Andou's triumphant cry of "which Misaki and I will win!", and continued. "The type of winners they pick vary from time to time, since sometimes the Lord and Lady are simply the most outstanding students from the Academy and Institute, while other times the winners are actually chosen as the 'best couple'. Those chosen as best couple-"

"Are fated to be tied together for all time," Yamazaki cut in seriously, and Eriol nodded just as gravely in agreement. "Sixteen years ago was the last 'best couple' to be chosen," said Eriol as he took his turn again. "That was when the Academy was open to people from the South as well…"

Here he paused, and the boys in the group all made faces, and Andou even spat contemptuously on the ground. Sakura felt her face grow hot with suppressed rage, but she was forced to content herself with staring furiously at the ground, reminding herself over and over that back in the South, people had done to same thing when the names of Northerners were mentioned.

Eriol observed all of this quietly before beginning again. "The winners of that competition were Kinomoto Fujitaka and Anamiya Nadeshiko – their relationship was rather legendary. They were crowned the winners of the flower festival and were immediately engaged to each other at the age of sixteen."

Sakura's lips parted in surprise. Her parents' names – how strange it was for them to come from the lips of her new friend! They sounded so out of place here, so far away. But an image of her father and mother, staring tenderly at each other flashed through her mind, and Sakura felt her chest grow heavy. They would never be able to…

Then it hit her. At such a large gathering of Northern nobles, surely someone would know the identity of the scar-faced killer. This was her chance to discover who he was. If she mingled with the right people and asked the right questions, that would mean-

"Oi! Stop daydreaming Kino!" Andou complained loudly, waking Sakura from her thoughts. "Li just asked if you accepted his proposal!"

"Proposal…?" she asked, at a loss. Why was Syaoran _proposing_ to her?

"The bet, oh slow-minded one," Syaoran growled impatiently.

"I am **not** slow-minded you cocky bastard! Or haven't you noticed? You haven't even told me what the terms are! What happens to the loser? And for that matter, there's no guarantee that one of us will even _win_ that competition," she threw back at him irritably, frustrated with herself for not paying attention.

He leered at her disdainfully and his voice rumbled as he said, "Very well, _boy_. If you aren't confident that you can win that competition then feel free to back out. I should have known you wouldn't be able to handle it."

Sakura didn't like the way he was looking at her, and she _definitely_ did **not** like the way he had emphasized the word "boy". It was the same tone the students of her father's dojo had used when she had been a child, still learning basic kenjutsu from her father. They'd scoffed at the very idea that a woman could hold a sword. She'd shown them that she could best them even _if_ she was a girl, and she'd show Syaoran too! Her fury now ignited, Sakura leaned forward to half-yell at him, her feet rising to their tiptoes to somewhat make up for the height difference between the two of them. "Name your terms Li-_bocchama_," she said sarcastically. "Just don't go crying about the punishment when you **lose**!"

"Bold words," Syaoran smirked, and it angered Sakura even more to realize that, while she was all riled up and her face red, _he_ still kept his outward composure and cool façade. But she could see the glint his eye, and she knew that he was as affacted as she was.

"At least I have to the guts to back them up! I only hope your precious reputation won't be too badly injured by the time I'm done with you," she growled.

"When you lose, I will have you obey one command," Syaoran said, after a pause. "And if you have any honor in you at all, you will do exactly as I say, no matter what my demand is."

Sakura bristled at his words, but kept the few choice words dying to fight out of her lips in, fuming inwardly at his arrogance. "There is no need for you to question _my _honor," she hissed. "I only hope you won't regret your decision when the time comes. To _you_, I shall never be merciful."

"As charming as this conversation is becoming," Eriol cut in smoothly. "We're going to be late for class." It was then that Sakura noticed how _close_ the two of them were standing. Her startled emerald eyes stared almost _shyly_ into the hard gaze of the very _male _figure before her, before steeping swiftly away from him. Syaoran, too, composed his features into their usual stoic positions. They had both forgotten about their audience.

"Whatever," she muttered under her breath.

"Hn," Syaoran responded just as unenthusiastically.

At the back, Andou moaned to Eriol about "how it was just getting good", and the other guys, especially Kikumaru and Kudou, were eyeing the two of them strangely.

Sakura felt like banging her forehead on something _hard_. What was she doing getting caught up in things like this when she had more important things to do? The extra attention she was drawing from the others really did not bode well either.

Luckily for her, before any of the other boys could say anything, the last gong signaling their tardiness rang, and the entire group had to run at full speed to the next lesson.

All throughout the day, Sakura shot furtive looks over in Syaoran's direction, and every twentieth time or so their eyes would meet… _coincidentally of course_, and she would immediately look away.

_I'm acting like a girl with a crush_ Sakura moaned in her head, not for the first time glad that her disguise as a male was still intact. But what she felt for him was the complete _opposite_ of like… her secretive glances were out of a mix of anger and wariness… and maybe even fear, but it was nothing akin to love. She couldn't afford such silly infatuations to distract her. Sakura nodded to herself gravely - it was bad enough that she was becoming increasingly attached to her new friends.

Across the room, Syaoran felt a conflict of emotions as well. Torn between amusement and anger, he pointedly ignored Eriol's questioning stare and kept his expression indifferent. Part of him was furious with all the reactions that foolhardy female had managed to draw from him. He had only meant to tease her, to entertain himself, and to push her into a corner, and yet he had actually _forgotten _himself, had become caught up in their argument.

His eyes flashed angrily. The girl would definitely reap the penalties of her obstinacy. She was entertaining, to be sure, and the strange sword technique she had revealed to him the night before was worth some scrutiny, but Syaoran was reaching the end of his patience. Even if she managed to keep her identity a secret, by the end of the hanamatsuri, Kino Kura would be gone from the Academy.

He allowed a triumphant smirk to pass across his face before immediately kicking himself for once again drawing Eriol's attention. His sapphire-eyed friend had been watching him closely for the past three lessons, and his all-knowing grin was really beginning to irritate Syaoran. It was all _her_ fault.

He glanced over at her from the corner of his eye, once again catching her off-guard, and his lips twitched upwards as she quickly looked away, blush on her cheeks. Syaoran had the sudden urge to laugh, an impulse he hadn't had for a long time. The chit had no idea what she was getting into.

This short, skinny, mere slip of a girl who was foolish enough to disguise herself as a boy and enter the Academy, who had more potential than almost more than any of the other boys, who cried alone in the dojo at night… he wondered what on earth this girl was doing here in the first place.

"Eriol," he said as they walked towards the main hall. "Let's not go to the main hall today. I'll have one of the maids bring us food."

Without waiting for a response, Syaoran turned and began to walk in the direction of his dojo, and Eriol followed behind wordlessly. When they had reached the Sakura forest at the foot of the hill and a maid had brought their lunches to them, Eriol spoke.

"So what is it you wanted to talk about?" he asked while looking up at the barren trees. It was already winter, and within a half month the girls from the Daidouji Institute would arrive.

"How much do you know about that Kino?" Syaoran questioned while grabbing onto a thick branch and swinging himself up onto it. "And don't give me that innocent look. You probably noticed a long time ago."

Eriol smiled cheerfully up at his friend before climbing up to join him. "Well if you're asking me about Kura-san, then I suppose you've already noticed a few things yourself."

"I know Kino's a girl," Syaoran said. "That much is obvious. She can't help but act too much like herself, especially since she's getting more and more familiar with the rest of us. Honestly, that girl is lucky no one else would ever dream that a female would dare enter the Academy, or her disguise would have fallen away within the first few weeks."

"I'm sure the fact that she can best almost all of them at kenjutsu helps," Eriol added casually, leaning against the trunk of the Sakura tree and propping his leg up. "But why so curious? You would usually just leave this kind of thing alone. Weren't you just complaining about having to share your dojo with her? Why don't you just tell your mother and force her to leave?"

Sapphire eyes observed Syaoran carefully as his friend glared at him and fumbled for the right words. A small smile twitched at the edges of Eriol's mouth. Syaoran did not realize it yet, but sure enough, some of his ice was finally thawing. It would be great fun to watch the development between the two of them. He'd never met someone who could rile the young Li heir up as much as himself.

"You… you're avoiding my question, Eriol," Syaoran growled. "Do you know anything else about her?"

"You avoided my question too," Eriol pointed out, but decided to cut Syaoran some slack. "Well my cute little cousin, in fact I _do_ know a couple more facts about her" – facts about her that would be more than enough to make you turn her in – "but I'm sure you've probably noticed them, too. And if you haven't noticed yet then I'm keeping my mouth shut anyways. It's more fun watching you squirm. I don't think I've ever seen you quite so taken with a girl before."

Syaoran scowled at his companion. "You know very well that such a thing is impossible. I would never lower myself to _that_ level. She is too troublesome."

"I've never seen anyone else capable of provoking you before. She'll be good for you as a friend, at least," Eriol said as the gong rang loudly. Perhaps Syaoran wasn't ready for this just yet. "Let's get to class." Then, as Syaoran swung down from the tree, he added as an afterthought. ""But it is very sweet of you to worry about someone, Syaoran."

"I hope you bite your tongue off," Syaoran muttered.

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"Today we begin our lessons on the proper courtesies required when dealing with ladies of various ranking," Dairan said as class began. Sakura, though several seats farther away from him than during her first lesson, still had to fight to not twitch at the sound of his voice.

"What is the rule for dealing with women of lower rank?" he asked the class, and Yamazaki raised his hand.

"Although you address her by her lower rank, you may bestow upon her the same graces and airs as a lady of a higher standing," he answered.

"Correct," the instructor nodded. "However, in the case of dealing with a lady of higher rank, our positions as males become a bit more compromised. You must, _must_ – I cannot stress this enough, show proper deference to a lady of higher rank. But if this is the case, who can spot the problem?"

When the room remained silent for a few moments, Eriol spoke. "Because, as men of noble blood we are inherently above women, though technically they are of higher birth or wealth than we are." – Sakura smothered a snort – "We walk a very difficult path balancing both our pride and the respect due the lady in question."

"Very good, Eriol," Dairan gave him a smile, which the former merely returned with a respectful nod. "So as we walk this tricky tightrope, remember that you must only bow your head ever so slightly below her own bow, and that although you address her by her higher rank and treat her with every cordiality due her position, you must not act like a servant boy. No student in this room is allowed to cast away his pride or honor."

The class echoed an obedient, "Hai" as he paused and he smiled at them all.

"This, of course, only applies to ladies in general. You will find that some women are much more cunning or demanding of respect than others. I'm sure you all realize that, when bowing to my mother, Li Yelan-sama, you had best bow as low as you can manage without falling over," he said with a laugh, which most of the boys joined in. "The conditions I mentioned earlier apply mainly to the students from the Daidouji Institute that you will be dealing with. You have all been taught, of course, appropriate decorum when dealing with ladies, but I'm afraid few of you have had opportunity to practice. This is what our classes will be covering in the next half month before the students at the Daidouji Institute arrive."

"How are we going to practice, Li-sensei?" Andou asked eagerly. No doubt he hoped that they would be able to practice on actual females. "There aren't that many girls at the Academy, after all."

Dairan laughed before saying, "How true, how true. Well, unfortunately boys, I can hardly convince my honored Mother to join our little lesson, and even if I did enlist the help of our lovely Mizuki-sensei, that would hardly be enough for us all. I'm afraid we'll simply have to do our best with what we have." The same second these words left his mouth, he looked over at Sakura and had winked at her. She tensed immediately.

"What do you mean, Li-sensei?" Yamazaki asked. The other boys looked rather confused as well, but Sakura knew what was coming, and she didn't like it.

"I simply meant that we would have to practice amongst ourselves," he continued cheerfully, a broad grin on his face. "Partners will be taking turns playing the roles of both male and female. This way, we will all get plenty of practice."

All the students stared at him in disbelieving horror – all except three: Syaoran, Sakura, and Eriol. The first two were very grim-faced whilst the latter had a most amused grin on his face.

"Are you quite serious, sensei?" Sakura spoke up voluntarily in Dairan's class for the first time since her arrival at the Academy.

"Why, of course I am, Kino-kun," he answered, his smile never wavering. "In fact, we will begin right now." With those words, he clapped his hands loudly and several maids entered the room and immediately began rearranging the zabutons and laying tea cups and snacks on the floor. Sakura wondered mutinously why they couldn't just practice on the maids.

"As you have all already received instruction on how to behave during formal tea ceremonies, I believe it would be more beneficial if we practiced in a setting more conducive to interaction and speech. A simple afternoon tea will do," Dairan continued. "Mizuki-sensei?"

At this, the shoji door slid open, and a servant bowed their archery mistress into the room. "Hello class," the lovely teacher said warmly. "Li-sensei."

"I have requested that Mizuki-sensei help me with demonstrations for the next few weeks as we prepare. Please join us, Mizuki-sensei."

She sat gracefully by Dairan's side and smiled at him.

"To begin, we will simply practice some carefree banter. I'm sure that you will all find that it is actually rather difficult to find topics to discuss with unfamiliar female guests. In order to remove as much awkwardness as possible from your conversations, practice, practice, practice!" Dairan said before turning to Mizuki-sensei. "Mizuki-san, how are you enjoying your stay at the Academy so far?"

Sakura's mood was immediately lifted by Mizuki-sensei's presence. Next to Yukito-san, she was definitely Sakura's favorite teacher. Happily she watched as the two instructors exchanged in polite conversation at the front of the room. The other boys were also paying much more attention than before, their eyes fixed on their only female teacher as well. It was inevitable, as the only female they often came in contact with was such a beautiful instructor.

"The trip here was rather tiring, but now I see it was worthwhile – the grounds here are absolutely beautiful," Mizuki-sensei answered smoothly.

"Did you know that we have a Sakura forest at the foot of the hill? It's not in bloom now, but by the start of Spring I'm sure the cherry blossoms will be stunning," Dairan said, thanking her as she refilled his teacup. "Ah, thank you, Mizuki-san."

"A Sakura forest, that's rather unusual isn't it?" she responded.

"There's a legend about that forest, actually," he explained lightly as they continued their demonstration. "Apparently, if you confess to the one you love at the centermost tree the night of the flower festival, your love with last for all time."

"My, how romantic," Mizuki-sensei said with a giggle.

"The conversation can move in any which direction, as you can see. The important thing is to do your best in keeping your escorts at ease. Perhaps it would be best for most of you to prepare potential topics beforehand so to prevent awkward silences. Of course, if your partner is well-cultured enough, silence ought to be comfortable and thoughtful," Dairan concluded. "Now everyone, split into pairs with your partners and take turns practicing both the male and female parts. Mizuki-sensei and I will be walking among you to assist your… practices."

Sakura took one look at Syaoran's expression and knew that she would be playing the female role… first at least. It was with great apprehension that she sat down on a zabuton next to him. Her suspicions were confirmed when he grunted, "You may be the girl first."

Sighing, she reluctantly nodded and looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to begin the conversation.

There were a few seconds of pause, in which Sakura felt rather awkward.

His brown eyes looked her over carefully, and when he spoke, his voice was surprisingly gentle. "How was the journey here, Kino-san?" he asked.

Sakura felt her cheeks redden and she immediately looked down at her hands, which had unconsciously folded themselves in her lap. What was _wrong_ with her? Just because she was used to Syaoran being rough and manhandling her, did **not **mean she was allowed to suddenly start acting like a girl! "It… it was a rather long and difficult journey," she said truthfully. "And the Academy is rather intimidating, I must admit. But it's quite different from what I expected."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Sakura wanted to slap herself. She wasn't _actually_ supposed to act like a girl! Nervously, she looked up at Syaoran and bit her lip. Hopefully he wouldn't think too much of it.

"Is it? How so?" he asked.

"Ah… well…" It was no good, she couldn't keep this up! And _why_ couldn't she stop blushing?! Sakura looked hesitantly up at him, and their eyes met for a brief moment before her gaze immediately returned to her lap. "Eto… you see…"

"And how are you two faring?"

Sakura started slightly as Li-sensei walked up behind them. Syaoran simply glared up at his older brother wordlessly.

"Not well? Well then, why don't I cut in for a bit? Syaoran, if you will please allow me," Dairan said and took his brother's seat before turning to Sakura. "Kino-san, how are you enjoying your stay here?"

Sakura frowned and unconsciously spread her knees apart into the martial arts kneeling position and raised her head higher, thrusting her chin forward. "The grounds are absolutely lovely, Li-sensei," she responded gruffly.

"Ah, but I'm sure they cannot compare to the famous gardens at the Daidouji Institute that I've heard so much about," he continued, not at all fazed by her obvious lack of cooperation.

"No, no they can't," she said blandly.

The rest of her conversation with Dairan continued in the same fashion. Despite her blatant refusal to act the part of a female, he was able to keep their chat fairly light-hearted and smooth. He left after five minutes, and Sakura and Syaoran resumed their "practice".

She had insisted that it was absolutely Syaoran's turn to play the female part, but that, too, had been a slow, dull ordeal. Syaoran had simply remained silent and nodded yes or no to her questions, and when she had finally lost all her patience and demanded that he make _some_ effort at conversation, he merely taunted her by saying, "A well-cultured partner can carry on a comfortable, educated silence. Do, Kino, at least attempt to understand its sophistication. True nobles oughtn't blab away as you are often in the habit of doing."

Sakura refused to speak to him for the rest of the day.

"I HATE him! I hate him I hate him I hate him I hate him! Ohh, he makes me so mad!" she yelled that night as she and Eriol wandered around the grounds after dinner. "Not blue-blooded enough to share in sophisticated silence?! Oh, he's such an arrogant _pig!_"

Her companion laughed good-naturedly and humored her antics the rest of the night before he returned to the dorm and she to the dojo with Syaoran, but that night, Eriol lay awake several hours longer than usual, thinking everything through.

"They're both such dense idiots," he murmured at last to himself. "But this is all so very curious. I would never have guessed that _she _would be able to deal so well with _him._"

It was true, Eriol had almost panicked during gentleman's class when Sakura had begun blushing and stuttering and… to put it bluntly, acting like the girl she is. It was a good thing that Dairan hadn't noticed, and had cut in when he had, because her actions would sooner or later have caught some other student's notice… and what would have resulted would have been very difficult to resolve.

But it was all very cute and interesting, and it would be very good for Syaoran to finally have someone heal his calloused wounds. It was time for him to start scheming again.

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**So how was that? I know that I've glossed over some of the finer details, but I really want to bring the girls in soon to start all the action. I promise many cute SxS moments to come! But if you'd like to have them fast… review please!**

**REVIEW!!!! … please? :D**

hanamatsuri – flower festival

hai – yes

zabuton – seat/cushion

bocchama – title servants address their master's sons as. The connotation hints at "rich son".

kami – God

eto – err…


	9. Tomoyo

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who reviewed! xD Okay, I one of the questions I was asked was whether or not there would be card captoring in this fanfiction, and I am sorry to say that no there will **_**not**_** be card captoring. Whether or not there will be **_**magic**_** has yet to be seen though!**

**This is, yet again, another rather long chapter so I hope you all enjoy this one as well!**

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Nine**

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The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and unrepressed excitement was running amok among the Academy students, but Li Syaoran found himself in a very peculiar predicament.

He, the silent, cold, and brooding, Li Syaoran, was in very great danger of bursting out into spontaneous laughter – a phenomenon not witnessed by mankind for at least eight years. And t_hat_ unfortunate occurrence had been the result of a young Eriol cornering a young Syaoran one afternoon and tickling the youngest Li brother into hysterical laughter purely for his own, sadistic amusement.

Syaoran absolutely refused to even chuckle, but he allowed himself to crack a smile as he watched Sakura run around excitedly, as if torn between anxiety and anticipation… but only because no one else was looking.

"Nervous about losing our bet?" he asked, as Sakura finally settled down and sat down next to him on the edge of the dojo. She made a face at him, but refrained from commenting as they both stared out at the beautiful scenery. Sakura had always thought that the Academy was beautiful, but Syaoran's dojo definitely had the best view. From where they were sitting, they overlooked half the meadow where the Sakura forest was, and a couple of the outermost dojos.

"I can't wait until the blossoms are in season," she said softly, imagining what the Sakura forest would look like in all its pink, flowery glory.

He looked over at her, forcing the edge of his mouth to tilt downwards. "You know, you really can't blame Andou for calling you a girl if you keep making comments like that. No matter how skilled you are in combat, you lack male pride," he said casually.

"Just share some of you arrogance with me and the two of us will be perfectly balanced," she retorted, glaring at him. "You're proud enough to cover for the both of us."

Syaoran remained silent, and Sakura didn't bother pursuing the argument any farther. Neither of them would ever admit it, but these quiet moments between the two of them had become rather comfortable… pleasant even.

He looked quietly over at her as she stared happily at the winter landscape. "Oh! Li! It's snow! Look! It's snowing!"

"That's what usually happens in winter, _baka_," he said sarcastically, but the angry and annoyed tone he used to use when speaking to her was no longer present.

Sakura ignored him and looked on, happily. "It's so pretty!" Syaoran wondered if she knew exactly _how_ girly she acted around him. It was amazing that no one else had caught on yet.

It was with reluctance that he finally called her out of her reverie. "Oi baka," Syaoran called her by the new nickname he had begun using a few weeks ago. "We have to head over to the front of the Academy soon. The girls from the Daidouji Institute should be arriving. You'd better hurry and change since I'm already in my uniform."

"Oh! Wait for me, okay?" Sakura jumped up and ran into the dojo. "Definitely wait for me!"

Syaoran watched her go with an amused expression. Yue had her uniform sent over just last week, and she had squealed about how nice it was for over an hour. She was so stupid… but her naiveté was strangely endearing.

As if realizing what his mind had just stated without his permission, he stood up suddenly. _What_ was he letting that girl do to him? His frown grew deeper as he thought about his behavior the past few weeks. He was definitely changing… and Syaoran wasn't sure that he liked it.

It wasn't that he was opposed to making new acquaintances, or even being civil to the new student, but this girl was beginning to edge in on dangerous territory. Syaoran stared back at the dojo, debating what to do. He could wait for her or he could leave her, and it would be as simple as that. It wasn't as if she really _mattered_ to him all that much anyways. Syaoran felt his old stubbornness kicking in as he stalked off in the direction of the Academy front gates.

Wait for her? Like hell he would.

Sakura stumbled out of the dojo three minutes later, a bright smile on her face. The uniform was made so _nicely_, and the crisp, cool cloth felt so soft against her skin.

"I'm ready! We can go now!" she called happily, but when she received no response, she stopped smiling and scanned the area quietly. "Li?"

He wasn't there.

Sakura sighed to herself before turning to walk in the same direction Syaoran had just minutes ago. "He's so stupid!" she muttered under her breath. "All he had to do was wait for me! Honestly, I wonder if he really _does_ think of me as just a nuisance."

And that was the truth. It really _was_ driving her crazy. Sometimes he could be so kind, yet other times so… distant, and Sakura wanted to know why!

"Kino? It _is_ you Kino! What the heck do you think you're doing, still daydreaming?" It was Yamazaki and Andou, both running at full speed in the direction of the front gate. Sakura looked up startled, as they continued to yell back. "You're going to be _late_." She frowned, still not understanding what the rush was, but started to jog after them.

"Kino, **Yue**-sensei is going to be the one checking that everyone is there!"

Sakura froze. Oh damn.

"Wait! Wait for me!" She shuddered at the thought of an angry Yue greeting their sorry, late butts. As if seeing the expression on his face wouldn't be scary enough… Sakura was sure that they would be punished for "disgracing the Academy" for weeks on end.

The three of them arrived just as the horses and carriages from the Daidouji Institute reached the front gate. Sakura, Andou, and Yamazaki hurried into the second rank group just as Yue looked down the line, checking to see that everyone was there. He fixed them with a harsh glare, but turned to glance over at the handful of first rank students before going to welcome Daidouji Sonomi, the mistress of the Daidouji Institute, into the Academy.

Her two companions grinned at each other in exhausted relief, but Sakura's smile was brightest of all. She craned her neck to see past the taller students in front of her (which was, quite literally, everyone) and caught a glimpse of the beautiful woman.

Even though Tomoyo had visited her every spring until she had to formally attend her mother's school, Sakura could only remember meeting her mother once, and the impression she had made on Sakura did not change. Daidouji Sonomi was one of the most beautiful women she'd ever seen.

From her gorgeous, red-brown hair to her fashionable, expensive kimono, Tomoyo's mother didn't look as if she'd aged a day. She was still as stunning as Sakura remembered.

All the boys had begun to mutter around her, and Sakura lifted up onto her tiptoes to get a better view. The headmistress of the Daidouji Institute said a few words that Sakura couldn't hear, and gestured to the carriages behind her.

The first girl who stepped from the horse-drawn carriages was a girl Sakura recognized right away. That long, silky hair twisted into a loose knot, those piercing, amethyst eyes, and those deep red, full and luscious lips definitely all belonged to her cousin. Tomoyo always reminded Sakura of her own. Both she and Nadeshiko had the same air of gentleness and the same kind smile, and Sakura felt a tug at her heart upon seeing it once again after so long. She had missed Tomoyo… and she missed her mother too.

What would Tomoyo think about her disguising herself as a student in the Academy? Sakura muffled a giggled. She'd probably go ballistic.

"Ooh… I wonder who _that_ is," Andou said as the second girl stepped from the carriage.

"I thought you had Misaki?" Sakura teased, but as she stared over the many heads in front of her, she had to agree that the next girl was just as beautiful as Tomoyo was. The girl's long, black hair was twisted into two elegant half buns on the two sides of her head, with the ends let down to sway gently in the breeze. Her eyes were a deep, dark almost-black, and her dark eyelashes were long and fanned out prettily. She was an undeniable beauty.

"I'd keep your eyes to yourself, Andou," Yamazaki advised a bit more seriously than usual, which stopped Andou's attempt to shut his friend up in mid-sentence. "That's Li's first cousin through marriage, Li Mei Ling. The rumor is that they're engaged."

Sakura stared back over at the Chinese girl in surprise. "They're… engaged, you say?"

"I never knew Li had a fiancée," Andou remarked, scratching the back of his head.

"And did you know that this beautiful Li Mei Ling-san grew up with Syaoran and was trained by the same martial arts master as he was?" Yamazaki continued cheerfully. "And her skill in kung fu is supposed to be on par with his."

Kung fu? Chinese martial arts. Perhaps that was why Syaoran's style of fighting was different from everyone else's.

Many more very pretty young ladies from the Daidouji Institute arrived, and there was a great deal of chatter and Yamazaki and Andou discussed her bet with Syaoran, but Sakura only half paid attention the entire time. Somehow, the fact that Syaoran was engaged came as a huge surprise to her… even though she knew it shouldn't.

Syaoran was engaged.

It was perfectly reasonable for the son of a prominent family like his to have a fiancée, so why couldn't she stop thinking about anything else?

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Finding a chance to talk with Tomoyo was more difficult than Sakura had thought it would be, and even a bit lonely, since she had unconsciously begun to avoid Syaoran. Waiting to catch Tomoyo alone was tricky since she was almost always with some other girls from the Institute, and it was two full days before Sakura found her chance.

Tomoyo was apparently late to breakfast, and was walking alone when Sakura stumbled upon her. Her cousin had recognized her on spot and had immediately rushed to the emerald-eyed girls side, grabbed her hand, and dragged her off to a more deserted part of the Academy.

"Sakura-chan! What on earth do you think you're doing here? And why… why do you look like- like you're a boy!" she blurted out, obviously panicking.

"Tomoyo-chan shh!!!" Sakura hissed as she looked around, double-checking that no one was there. "Not so loud!"

The amethyst-eyed beauty immediately enveloped her in a hug. "I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan. I heard about your parents… I'm so sorry! You should have seen how worried Okaa-sama and I were when we arrived to your home and you weren't there! Your manservant refused to tell us where you had gone, but all of your servants and even the local people insisted that you had just gone on a short trip to heal your sorrows. Okaa-sama was still worried so she's sent many servants out to search for you! I'm so glad that you're okay," Tomoyo said, as fast as she could, as if she was scared that Sakura would disappear. "I can hardly believe I'm seeing you! But why are you _here_ of all places?"

Sakura resisted the urge to cry and instead returned Tomoyo's hug just as tightly. "We don't have time right now," she murmured into Tomoyo's shoulder. "We'll talk tonight. Can you meet me here after dinner?"

The two of them left after promising to return again later, and Sakura went back to her daily classes feeling lighter than she had since she arrived at the Academy. Several of her friends commented on how much happier she seemed, and Andou teased her mercilessly about having found a new girlfriend, but she ignored them, and the day went by very quickly.

Sakura found her way back to the clearing she and Tomoyo had agreed to meet in easily, but when she arrived no one was there. She began to pout as the minutes passed by, but forced herself to be patient. After all, there were a million possible reasons Tomoyo-chan could be a bit late.

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Syaoran glared silently at the patterns of light the lamp made on the tatami floor of his room. Where in kami's name was that woman?! He _knew_ that she had been avoiding ever since the day he hadn't waited for her. He _knew_ that she was probably still mad. He _knew_ all of this, but why the heck wasn't that blasted woman home yet?! They might not be on speaking terms, but that was no reason for her to be almost two hours late!

Cursing softly, Syaoran picked up his sword and headed towards the training hall to work off some frustration.

He brought his blade down heavier than usual as he thrust his sword through the air, and he was already beginning to sweat after just a few minutes of practice, but he still felt frustrated.

WHY did it bother him so much he hadn't spoken a single decent sentence to her all week? WHY did it make him feel all… strange inside? WHY was he considering grabbing her shoulders and shaking her hard until she decided to come to her senses and look him straight in the eye? WHY… were there footsteps pounding in the hallway outside?

"Kino?" Syaoran sheathed his sword and turned to leave the training hall, but before he could react, the large shoji doors slid open with a bang and he found himself holding a trembling Sakura in his arms.

"Wha- what? Kino!" Syaoran stared down at the girl in surprise. "What-what're you doing?" What on earth could have possibly scared you so badly you ran in here and threw your arms around me?!

He watched in surprise as she shook her auburn head and buried her face in his chest. Hesitantly, Syaoran wrapped his arms around her, and, unable to help himself, he pulled her closer to him. But when he did, something in his chest tightened in a mix of fury and worry.

"What happened? Why are you crying?" he demanded, almost angrily. Syaoran loosened his arms around her and, with his right hand, gripped her chin and forced her emerald eyes up towards his. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know w-what happened t-to Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura stammered between sobs. "I was s-supposed to meet her t-tonight, but she didn't show up for h-hours and hours and I tried looking for her, but I couldn't find her!"

Tomoyo? Syaoran's eyes narrowed. The Daidouji heiress? "Hey… hey calm down for a moment. I'll help you look for her so calm down."

"B-But how can I be calm? What if Tomoyo-chan is lost… or maybe ghosts are keeping her captive… or…" _or maybe that scar-faced man killed her just like he killed my parents, _Sakura tensed as she finished her sentence mentally to herself. "Oh what am I _doing_ here? I have to go out and look for her."

She pushed away and turned towards the door only to be pulled back into Syaoran's arm with a firm tug. "I thought I told you to calm down," he said, stroking her back comfortingly. "Calm down and focus or we'll never find your friend. Now where were you supposed to meet her?"

The two of them ran quietly over the grounds, the silence broken only with gestures from one or the other towards a different section of the Academy. Syaoran looked from time to time at his companion, worriedly. Sakura was obviously becoming more and more anxious with every passing minute, and, although Syaoran doubted there was anything too dangerous in such a heavily guarded Academy, it would not do if the daughter of the Daidouji Institute was lost on the grounds at night.

Sakura was running just a few steps in front of him, so when she stopped abruptly, he nearly crashed into her. Syaoran opened his mouth to yell at her, but she quickly made shushing sounds and listened intently into the night air.

He followed her instructions and listened as well. Without the sound of their footsteps, Syaoran could vaguely make out a sweet, soft voice singing quietly.

"Daidouji-san?" he asked Sakura, who nodded quickly. Her immensely relieved expression did not escape him, even in the dark night, and Syaoran could not resist smiling back at her. "She's still far away. We need to follow the sound."

They traced the source of the singing fairly swiftly, Syaoran thought. Despite his companion's terrible sense of direction, she was able to find Tomoyo without any trouble. Her determination to find her friend was admirable.

Syaoran could not resist one final tease before they reached the clearing Tomoyo was singing in. "Is Daidouji-san a special lady friend of yours?" he taunted softly even as Sakura increased her pace upon seeing her friend's profile within the trees.

"A childhood friend," she responded, sticking her tongue out at him. "And it's none of your- Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura yelped happily as she immediately raced over to her friend and threw her arms around her.

"Saku-" Tomoyo stopped mid-word as she realized they were not alone. Syaoran smirked in her direction smugly.

So her name _was_ Sakura… pretty name. His dark brown eyes watched as the two friends talk extremely quickly and happily to each other for a full minute with satisfaction before he coughed conspicuously.

"Ah… Tomoyo-chan, this is Li Syaoran-san. His mother is Li Yelan-sama, and he's my classmate and dojo-mate," Sakura introduced speedily, realizing that she had been extremely rude. "When I couldn't find you I asked him to come and um… help me look for you." What had transpired just a half an hour ago began to sink in, and Sakura tried valiantly but unsuccessfully to subdue the mortified blush that was spreading across her cheeks.

She had been ignoring him for days already! And… _kami,_ she had practically thrown herself at him and **cried** all over him! A-And he helped her and… guys are **not** supposed to cry over their childhood friend getting lost! And… and…

Sakura's cheeks flamed brightly, and even in silvery moonlight, Syaoran could see how pink her face had become. Unconsciously, he smiled and admired how cute she looked.

Yes, he thought. Cherry blossoms definitely suit her.

"Li-san," the amethyst-eyed beauty said softly and bowed. Syaoran returned the bow with a murmured, "Daidouji-san." before saying. "As much as I realize that you two must have a great deal to tell each other, may I suggest a more convenient… time? Surely you will be missed, Daidouji-san."

"Oh no. Although most of the girls are staying in the east wing buildings, my chambers are in a different area, and the only ones who know that I am not in bed are my mother and your cousin, Mei Ling."

Both Sakura and Syaoran stiffened at the Chinese heiress' name, but the latter was the first to recover. "Oh? Then perhaps a more suitable location? I'm sure that our dojo will be much more comfortable than within these trees," he said politely before turning and walking towards the dojo.

Sakura stared at his back quietly, but took Tomoyo's arm in hers and silently the three walked back. The entire way, her mind, though it should have been on her recently-rescued friend, was on Syaoran, and his uncharacteristic show of kindness to her that night.

He had comforted her while she cried… _on_ him, he had stopped his training to help her search for Tomoyo, and he had kept his teasing to minimum. Was this his way of apologizing for leaving her the day the girls arrived? Or perhaps it was simply a gesture of reconciliation. Or maybe she _wasn't_ such a nuisance, and he actually missed her presence?

The possibilities were endless, and the only thing she was sure was that her own behavior that night had been beyond peculiar, and that she was exceedingly glad that he had not asked her too many questions.

Sakura felt her cheeks flush again for the third time that day as she remembered how… how _nice_ it had felt in his arms – like they were something strong and secure she could cling on to… lean on to, her support and her security. Even as she vehemently denied any such bond between them in her head, her body could not forget the firm and safe warmth of his arms wrapped around her.

WHY couldn't she stop blushing?!

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**So I hope you all enjoyed that, and once again I hope you all REVIEW and let me know what you think, because it really means a lot to me!**

baka – idiot

oi - hey

okaa-sama – honored mother

kami – God

tatami – sweet-straw type flooring


	10. Mei Ling

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**How'd you all enjoy last chapter? I thought I'd liven things up just a little bit… I think I've been dragging chapters on in an attempt to write more. Short and simple… short and simple… what do you all think? I didn't exactly make it concise… but I was never very good at un-detailing things. xD **

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Ten**

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"So explain this to me again? You want me to dress up as a _girl_ and attend the upcoming events?" Sakura repeated slowly to her friend as the two of them walked side-by-side down a dirt path leading to Tomoyo's rooms.

"Yes," Tomoyo responded serenely, a blissful expression on her face. Sakura guessed that she was imagining all the pretty clothes Sakura could be stuffed into.

She gazed fondly at her friend and cousin; it had been so long since she'd shared in female company like this… someone who knew who she was and where she had come from. The occasional dinner and chat with Yukito was extremely gratifying, but simply not the same. Tomoyo-chan was her best friend, and now the two of them were allowed to be seen together as much as they pleased since she'd informed everyone at the Academy that they were childhood friends.

It was this affection for her companion that almost made Sakura sorry when she flatly refused her friend's proposal. "Sorry Tomoyo-chan, but absolutely not. I can't risk someone recognizing me, and it's far too much to hope that none of the sharp-eyed instructors or my friends won't realize it's me," she said bluntly, though kindly. "I… told you why I came here, and it's not to have a good time. I have a mission to accomplish."

At this statement, Tomoyo turned suddenly serious and looked cautiously around them to see if anyone else was within earshot. "Sakura-chan," she said quietly. "I've been thinking about this… this _revenge_ thing, and I don't think it's a very good idea. No-" Tomoyo hurried before Sakura could interrupt. "No, listen to me, Sakura-chan. This isn't _like_ you… I-I'm worried about you! Even if we _do_ forget about the danger for a moment, I know you're not scared, but this… I don't think this is something you should do. Have you ever _killed_ someone before? Anger, malice – those aren't emotions you should hold on to!"

Sakura fell silent at Tomoyo's words, and she contemplated how to respond. How could she explain to her _why_ revenge was so important to her? How could she make Tomoyo _understand_? – especially since she didn't want her to understand. Tomoyo shouldn't have to know. She didn't need to understand what it was like to have all of her happy memories of her family tarnished by the image of their bloodied bodies on the floor. She didn't need to know about the fury, the _hate _she felt for the man who had ripped her happiness, her precious people away.

This… this ball of suppressed rage curling within her chest – it was with her, wherever she went. Even when she laughed, even when she smiled, some part of her had died the very same night her parents had died, and even with every ring of laughter, some place in her heart rang hollow. She _needed_ to see him dead, the scar-faced man who had murdered her family.

How could she make her comprehend that every ounce – every _fiber_ of her being was screaming for his blood? Sakura's eyes dimmed as she lifted her gaze to meet Tomoyo's. She suddenly felt very alone. Tomoyo had always been able to understand her before, but now it was different. _She_ had changed… her world had changed. Tomoyo hadn't seen her parents murdered… hadn't heard her mother's scream, and hadn't stared into the eyes of their murderer.

Something in her expression must have been forbidding, because when Tomoyo spoke again to call her forth from her thoughts, she had a slightly frightened look on her face. "Sakura-chan," she whispered softly. "Sakura-chan?"

Emerald eyes stared into amethyst orbs for a moment, before softening. "I know I can't make you… understand, but this is just something I have to do… I _need_ this Tomoyo-chan. Can't you just… can't you just please try to understand that this is important to me? I can't back out now," she said slowly, still trying to find the words to express what she was feeling.

Tomoyo frowned, and the troubled look did not leave her eyes, but she seemed to realize that her case was lost, at least for the moment. "On one condition," she said, smiling again. "You have to at least be a girl for one or two of the events!"

"Tomoyo-chan-" Sakura said, exasperated, but she was cut off when her friend hurriedly continued. "Don't worry about your identity and such. I can guarantee that even Yukito-san would have great difficulty in seeing through the disguise I have in mind for _you_! Ohohohohoho!"

Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but simply shut it after seeing the determined glint in Tomoyo's eye. She, too, could recognize a lost cause when she saw one. "Well only if you're the lady I escort for all the other events… and I'm only being a girl for** one or two**. You said so yourself… okay?" she sighed. The truth was, she wasn't in any mood to dapple in adventures that might reveal her identity, as tempting as becoming a girl again for one night was. With a blush Sakura found herself wondering mildly what all her new friends would think of her in women's clothes. Would they find her pretty? This really wasn't important though.

"I'll see you later then, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura called to her friend as they parted ways. "Remember the first event is tonight, and you're _my_ escort so I can get good marks in gentleman's class!"

She smiled at the waving Tomoyo, but the sudden appearance of another girl from behind her shocked Sakura's grin into a tight line. Sakura nodded respectfully at the girl she was sure was Syaoran's fiancée, Li Mei Ling, but felt an inexplicable unease at seeing her.

That night after Sakura had changed into the school uniform, she left her room only to find Syaoran leaning nonchalantly against a wooden post at the entrance of their dojo.

"Would it be wishful thinking to ask if you're waiting for me?" Sakura asked, surprised but grinning. After the night he had helped her find Tomoyo, the two of them had been strangely friendly, especially on Syaoran's part. He'd teased her as he had before their week-long dispute, but there was just a _hint _of friendliness there now that hadn't been there before. Sakura felt her spirits rise without really understanding why having Syaoran as a friend made her more excited than usual. Maybe it was simply because someone usually so decidedly solitary had seemed to finally deem her worthy of his acknowledgement.

Syaoran nodded at her quietly before turning on his heel and walking away. Sakura caught up with him easily, and he replied to her question with a, "In order to prevent your habitual tantrums."

Sakura's face brightened as she retorted with some witty remark with great liveliness, and upon seeing the blissful expression on _her_ face, Syaoran, too, felt the corners of his mouth tug upwards.

She could read the hidden meaning behind his actions, or partially, at least. He had waited for her so that she would not be made unhappy, which wasn't _exactly _the same as trying to make her _happy_, but it was an improvement. He, on the other hand, had the unwitting pleasure of having made her smile.

Their chatter – her chatter and his short responses – settled down after a few moments, and unbeknownst to the lady, Syaoran's eyes drifted over to her often, his dark, watchful gaze regarding her quietly.

The two of them walked in companionable silence to a large lot of what used to be empty space. Tonight, however, it was filled with colorful lanterns, music, food, drink, and lots and lots of people.

"They're lucky it's not too cold tonight," Syaoran remarked dryly. "It's almost midwinter, and usually all of our guests would be freezing right now." And it was true. Sakura looked around the area, mildly surprised that the temperature here seemed a bit warmer than everywhere else.

"Maybe it's because there are so many fires lit," she wondered aloud. "What do you think, Li?"

"I wouldn't know," he bit sarcastically. "But I think I preferred this place better when it was an empty lot."

Sakura laughed. "And to think that _you_ were the one calling me unsocial just a few weeks ago? What's wrong? Doesn't the great Li Syaoran like social gatherings?"

He merely spared her a quick glance, which hinted at her childishness, and the two of them continued on.

Sakura had promised to meet Tomoyo near where a beautiful young woman in a long, silky green kimono was sitting, playing the kokin. Apparently Syaoran did not have a date, or any prearranged plans, because he followed Sakura all the way to the musician and stood there with her, completely at ease.

Her emerald eyes had darted up at him curiously several times during their walk, but mostly she was too distracted by the complete transformation of the Academy grounds to pay much attention to him. Music drifted idly through the air as Sakura watched the male-female interaction around her with great interest. There wasn't a great deal of talking, but everyone seemed to be having a decent time.

Sakura almost giggled, but caught herself mid-way and turned it into a half-cough, half-manly chuckle. Syaoran looked down at her amusedly, but she diverted his attention by pointing out certain people and commenting on their partners… or lack thereof.

"It becomes obvious in situations like these how social a man is," Syaoran said, surprising Sakura with his sudden inclination for conversation. "The shy ones are hanging back in all male groups, but you can tell that they have no idea how to handle women by those nervous or curious glances they shoot the females standing closer to them. See?" He said, tilting his head in the direction of a group of younger male students standing, huddled in a group together.

"And the bold ones are the ones talking freely with the ladies, or asking them if they would like to have some tea or sake?" Sakura commented cheerfully. When with everyone else, Syaoran rarely spoke, but occasionally, when it was just the two of them, the stoic first-rank would take the time to speak with her. It was still a rare occurrence, however, and she was always interested in what he had to say. "Why has the great Li Clan heir decided that this is worth mentioning? I am curious."

"That boy over there is Suzumiya Kousuke," Syaoran continued, choosing to ignore her question. "He is the son of Suzumiya Tatsumaru, the famous general." Sakura looked, and the person in question was surrounded by eager women.

"Isn't he graduating this year and joining his father as a vice general?" Sakura asked curiously. She'd become much more familiar with politics and the names of Northern big shots after spending nearly three months at the Academy. "What about him?"

Here her companion surprised her again by directing their conversation down a path she had not expected. Syaoran's brown eyes looked down at her for a moment before he shrugged and stood up straight. "Well not so much him as those giggling girls. What type of woman do you suppose is the type that hordes around him, like _those_?"

"Oh, and I was sure that I had you pegged for the type of man that _liked _giggling girls. Don't they boost your feeling of masculine pride?" she teased.

Syaoran chuckled lowly at her words. He obviously expected her to say more, because after a few seconds of her stunned silence, Syaoran was looking down at her again, an inquisitive glint in his eyes.

Sakura was doing her utmost not to gape. Syaoran had… _laughed_? Had… had… Recovering herself, Sakura swiftly pasted her usual, calm smile back on her face and did her best imitation of a girlish giggle… which was, in all honesty, not very difficult for her.

"There are two possibilities. I see women who are either taken by his aura… his air of wealth, strength, and authority… women who're after what he has to offer, and then women who genuinely want to get to know him. There are only probably one or two of the latter mixed in that group there though," she said wryly.

Syaoran remained quiet for a few seconds before saying, "I see women who are going to be sorely disappointed. Suzumiya is going to be married in spring."

"Always the cynic, aren't you?" Sakura said dryly before remembering. Glancing up at him hesitantly, she asked, "You… are engaged too, aren't you?"

Her tall, handsome companion looked surprised. "How do you know about that?" he demanded. "Who told you?"

She sensed that she had tracked onto sensitive territory, but her curiosity won out and she opened her mouth to ask more, but the arrival of the fiancée in question shocked the both of them into immediate silence, and Sakura even jumped a little.

"Syaoran!" a silky voice put an instant halt to their conversation, and Sakura could have sworn a scowl appeared on Syaoran's face. "Is this where you've been hiding?"

Slowly, the two of them turned around and it was, indeed, Li Mei Ling who was standing behind them, accompanied by Tomoyo.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura said cheerfully, grinning broadly at her friend. She put off having to greet the other girl, because for some reason, Sakura wasn't sure how to greet her. "What took you so long?"

"I was simply watching something very interesting," the amethyst-eyed girl responded readily, but her smile widened, as she looked sideways at the Chinese girl who had latched herself to Syaoran's arm. "But something _more_ interesting appeared and I thought I'd have a closer look."

When Sakura stared at her in confusion, the Daidouji heiress merely responded with an enigmatic smile that mirrored almost exactly Eriol's, and commented on the surroundings. "The Academy has been decorated so beautifully tonight. It must have taken a lot of work."

"But _what_ was so interesting to watch that you waited so long before coming?" Sakura persisted, still not understanding, but her friend simply continued to laugh. Her high-pitched voice was soon joined by a low, baritone chuckle and Sakura was delighted to find that Eriol had joined their number as well.

"Eriol-san!" she greeted. "What are you laughing about?"

The sapphire-eyed student smiled mysteriously and nodded at Tomoyo. "The same reason Daidouji-san was laughing, of course. Syaoran. Mei Ling-san," he said, nodding at the two standing behind them.

"Ara, Hiiragizawa-san isn't it? I've heard so much about you in my letters from Syaoran! I didn't know you already knew Tomoyo-san," Mei Ling said, her death grip trapping Syaoran's arm firmly in hers. She smiled prettily up at him, but her fiancé seemed unmoved. "Mei Ling…" he sighed. "Let go."

Sakura was trying pointedly to ignore the obvious display of affection, still unsure of why it bothered her so much, but it became impossible to avoid the object of her discomfort when Mei Ling's smooth voice asked. "And who are you? Who is this, Syaoran?"

Sakura noted dully that Mei Ling addressed him as "Syaoran", and not "Li-san" or even "Syaoran-san". But then, of course, the two were related _and_ engaged. That was perfectly normal.

"Kino Kura, son of Duke Kino from the North. He's currently staying in my dojo right now, and they made him my partner when he enrolled a few months ago," Syaoran replied indifferently, still trying, rather futilely, Sakura thought sarcastically, to pry his arm from Mei Ling's clutches. "Kino, this is my cousin Mei Ling."

"Your _fiancée_ Syaoran! How many times do I have to tell you to introduce me as your fiancée?" Mei Ling complained, pout on her face. Sakura noted that she was, indeed, very cute when she pouted.

Forcing herself to remember her good manners, Sakura managed to fix a decent smile onto her face and turned to Mei Ling. "Nice to meet you­-"

"Syaoran! Come take a walk with me!" Mei Ling demanded suddenly, ignoring Sakura's attempt at decency, and Sakura felt her eye twitch. "Oh-yes. Nice to meet you too, Kino-san. Syaoran! I want you to show me around the Academy grounds, didn't you promise me you would?"

Syaoran frowned and again tried to pry Mei Ling off his arm. "Mei Ling… let go. I'll take you around some other time. Dairan made it clear that we all had to be present for tonight's event. If I'm missed it'll cause unnecessary trouble later. Stop acting so foolish. Let go of my arm."

Sakura was torn between irritation and amusement. It was an almost comical scene to behold, but she wasn't sure why she felt as if something tight was stuck in her throat. Surely it didn't bother her so much that Syaoran was familiar with people other than herself? "Why don't we start with a walk around the party grounds?" Eriol interrupted easily, "We ought to take a turn around the place… Kaho-san really did a fine job decorating, after all."

"Mizuki-sensei was in charge of decorating?" Sakura asked, forcing her eyes from Syaoran and the lovely lady he was busy attempting to detach himself from.

"Well tonight is the opening event, the first chance for students from both schools to get to know each other, and our talented archery instructress wanted to make sure things were perfect," he explained before turning to Tomoyo. "And how are you enjoying the festivities?" There was a knowing twinkle in his eye that Tomoyo returned. "Oh yes! I have been kept very… entertained so far."

The two of them were sharing in a private joke apparently, because although they both began to laugh lightly, Sakura felt completely at a loss. She shook her head and looked around at the crowd. Almost everyone was mingling now, and the calm notes of the kokin-playing had been replaced with melody from a bamboo flute.

"Ne Syaoran," she asked absentmindedly, staring off at the colorful lamps lighting up the grounds. "Did we have so many servants here before? There seem to be more people waiting on us than usual."

"Just because you don't see them doesn't mean that they aren't there. Our servants are well trained to keep well out of the way, though most are simply hiding in the kitchens during the day. We have many students to feed, and even more now that those from the Daidouji Institute have arrived," he answered placidly, and Sakura wondered when he had suddenly come to stand so close by her side. The two of them were now walking very closely to each other, with Tomoyo and Eriol on Sakura's right and Mei Ling on Syaoran's left. "However, Okaa-sama did have some more people recruited though, as there are simply too many people to take care of in the Academy right now. We even had two cartloads of teacups brought over from China to accommodate the large addition to our school."

She grimaced up at him. "That seems very expensive."

"The Academy is by no means lacking in finances," he informed her firmly. "We are a very prestigious institution."

Emerald eyes rolled. "I _realize _that. I only meant that it seemed a little extravagant. Why import china from overseas when there are perfectly nice cups in Japan?"

Syaoran hesitated before admitting, "Mother wanted an addition to her collection. A maid dropped an entire set of antiques last month, and she was very upset, so I gave the order to have new ones shipped over."

Sakura made a face. "What happened to the maid? How long will she be working _that _fiasco off?"

"She has been dismissed," he answered, not batting an eyelash. "We are very fair with our servants, and Mother even generous at times, but none of us are so patient as to continue paying a worker who not only cannot do her job properly, but also _breaks_ valuables."

"You are very harsh," Sakura observed.

"I would be more pleased if you endeavored to call my actions 'fair'."

"Fair, perhaps, but you have too many rough edges, not only in your decision-making but also your personality," she complained with some humor before turning to Tomoyo. "Tomoyo-chan, would you believe that the first morning I woke up in the dojo we're sharing, he was standing above me with his katana to my nose? It was the most memorable greeting I have _ever _received from anyone."

Tomoyo never had a chance to reply, because Sakura was instantly poked in the ribs by Syaoran's elbow. He glared down at her and growled, "Don't go telling stories about me. It was your own fault for not delivering Okaa-sama's letter to me first. Are you honestly suggesting that I should have let a stranger sleep in my quarters without question?"

"You're too stiff," she glared back at him.

"You're too naïve," he retorted.

The two of them were contented to continue glaring at each other until a loud (and in Sakura's opinion, rather unwelcome) voice shook the two of them apart. "Syaoran I'm _bored_! You haven't had a decent conversation with me since I arrived. Pay some attention to _me_!!"

Sakura was unsure of how to react, so she simply stuck her tongue out at him and turned away, to which he whispered in her ear, "And childish too", but she simply ignored him.

"Eriol-san, have you seen Li-sensei anywhere around yet? Maybe if he sees us then we can go wander off somewhere else. Mei Ling-san seems to want to leave," she said, attempting a second smile in Mei Ling's direction.

The Chinese girl's face lit up brilliantly and her grip on her fiancé's arm tightened (which deepened his scowl), and she said, "That's a great idea! I ought to go greet your brother too, Syaoran. Then, the two of us can go spend some time together."

Eriol laughed at the small frown on Sakura's face and said, "I'm not sure that's exactly what Kura-san meant." But Mei Ling determinedly plowed on anyway. "Tomoyo-san, you don't mind, do you? You said yourself that you and Kino-san are old friends, and he can introduce you to Hiiragizawa-san. Syaoran and I simply have _so much_ catching up to do," she gushed and batted her eyes in her fiancé's direction.

"Well, I don't suppose _I_ mind," Tomoyo admitted, eyeing Sakura pointedly. "But perhaps-"

"Great! It's settled then! Syaoran and I will go off to look for Onii-sama, and you three can take your time enjoying the party! See you later Tomoyo-san, Hiiragizawa-san! Oh, and Kino-san, you too of course. Thank you for always taking care of Syaoran," Mei Ling called over as she tugged an exasperated Syaoran off in a different direction.

"She talks as if they're already married," Sakura huffed, her eye twitching. "And what's with the 'Oh, and you too of course, Kino-san'? Am I just the tagalong then?"

Both Eriol and Tomoyo began laughing, but the former paused long enough to ask, "Do you dislike Mei Ling-san?"

Startled by his question, and even more by her unfounded animosity, Sakura fell silent, thinking things through. Why _did_ the slight snub bother her so much? She usually just brushed small insults like this off carelessly… actually, didn't she usually attribute such actions to oversight? Surely Mei Ling-san was simply too excited to see Syaoran again, which was why she had been a bit rude. That was normal.

"It's not that I dislike her at all," Sakura said finally. "She's a very… nice girl. I suppose I'm simply not used to female chatter. It's been so long since I've entered the Academy, I forgot how other girls… I mean," – Sakura corrected herself – "girls usually act."

"I see," Eriol said, understandingly. "Ah! There's Li-sensei." The two of them waved over in Dairan's direction, and Tomoyo bowed politely. The manners master smiled grandly and was about to make his way over to their group when an overexcited Mei Ling and sullen Syaoran accosted him.

Even from where they were standing, Sakura could hear Mei Ling's upbeat babble, and all of a sudden she felt irrationally nauseated by the entire situation.

"Tomoyo-chan, Eriol-kun, I think I'm going to head back to the dojo early today," Sakura said suddenly, and her two friends looked at her quietly. "Don't worry about me, Tomoyo-chan," she smiled when her amethyst-eyed friend was about to protest. "Li-sensei has already seen me so I think it'll be alright, and Eriol-kun is a great host. He'll make sure you have a great time, right Eriol-kun?"

Eriol paused and studied her for a moment, as if hesitating, before nodding and turning to take Tomoyo's arm. "Of course, I'd be delighted to have the honor of escorting Daidouji-san tonight. You go ahead and leave, and I'll make excuses to Li-sensei if he asks. But," he gave her one more long, piercing look before leading Tomoyo away. "Feel free to return at any time. Daidouji-san and I will, of course, welcome you back."

The two of them walked together silently for a minute before Tomoyo spoke to Eriol in low undertones, "Very well, I was hoping that I might be able to speak with you about something as well, Hiiragizawa-san."

"Ah, Daidouji-san," he responded, smiling charmingly. "I would be delighted to hear what you have to say. What might be on your mind?"

Sakura yelled her thanks over to the two of them as they disappeared into the crowd, but her smile faltered when she once again gazed in the direction of where the Li trio had been standing just moments ago. The couple had disappeared, and Dairan was now looking around for his students.

Stealing away quickly and quietly, Sakura half-walked, half-jogged back to the dojo, eager to get away from all the celebration and spurred on by the thought of potential ghost encounters, which were supposedly not uncommon at this time of night.

"Things like this shouldn't bother you so much. You always enjoyed parties back at home, so why ought one girl spoil it for you?" Sakura chided herself. She, however, had intentionally left certain, choice words unspoken. _One girl who also happened to be Syaoran's fiancée. _

The truth was, she _didn't_ know why she was annoyed whenever Mei Ling clung harder to Syaoran's arm, she _didn't_ know why she felt so awkward in their company, and she _certainly_ didn't know why she disliked Mei Ling so much.

The girl was loud and very clingy, but Syaoran was, after all, hers to cling to, _not_ Sakura's… but that much was already obvious.

Sakura was so wrapped up in her thoughts, that she didn't even notice the large package sitting at the foot of the steps to the dojo, and it was not until she gracefully tripped over it and fell flat on her face that she was made aware of its existence.

"What idiot left a box here for someone to trip over?" Sakura hissed to herself, rubbing the shoulder that had banged against the top step painfully. The insignia imbued on it, however, shut her up immediately.

Quietly, Sakura looked around to make sure that there was no one else there before carefully scrutinizing the box. There was no addressee, but Sakura was sure the package was for her. The Daidouji crest was burned into the side of the wood, and there was a small notation next to it – a cherry blossom. Tomoyo or her mother must have sent it.

Sakura picked it up quickly, but nearly dropped it, managing to regain her balance just it time. This box, roughly the size of Kero's bridle, was _heavy_. Her curiosity more roused than ever, Sakura took it speedily to her room to give closer inspection.

There were no markings other than the two symbols on the outside, and after a few seconds' debate, she cut open the thick string holding the box shut with a knife, and opened it. Inside was ten, maybe fifteen scrolls, all of them thick and neatly stacked on top of each other. Laying on top of the layers of scrolls was a small scrap of paper, no larger than Sakura's palm, and on it was the drawing of a small flower, the Nadeshiko.

Sakura felt her breath hitch as she stared at the image, so familiar yet so strange to her now that she was so far from home, and all of a sudden she understood why this package was here. It had been meant for her mother.

With trembling fingers, Sakura picked up the uppermost scroll on the right side. It was, she noticed, very old and covered in dust. Carefully, scared she would rip the page, Sakura broke the seal and rolled the scroll open.

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**Hahahahahahahaha… MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Okay, the truth is that I hadn't originally planned on making this a cliffhanger, but I currently have extremely limited access to my computer and documents, and so I'm afraid that I'm cutting you all short. After all, quality is better than quantity, yes? **

**Review and yell at me and I'll think about updating faster as a treat for making this chapter (and I know, the last one too) rather short. **

**REVIEW!**

kami – God

kokin – a large, stringed musical instrument that originally came from China, also known in the English language as the zither. It is made up of a long, horizontal wooden base, with long, violin-like strings running across it. I'm sure you've all at least seen one before. Go ahead and google zither and you'll see what I mean.

ara – oh!

Onii-sama – honored brother


	11. The Lake

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Ahh… limited access to computer sucks, but I'll do my best. What you are about to read is the product of very hurried and rather (I apologize) **_**rushed**_** work. I'll come back and edit this chapter at a later date, but I simply didn't want to push the update too far back.**

**So please bare with me and enjoy?**

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Eleven**

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Sakura stared at the sword she held raised up in front of her almost absentmindedly. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, pouring over the scrolls the Daidouji family had left for her. The truth was, she'd only managed to skim through about two or three of them before Syaoran had returned to the dojo and, after seeing how low her candle had already burned, demanded that she sleep for the night.

Not that it had done her much good. There was far too much information streaming through her head for that, and sleep had eluded her for hours and hours. Sakura had not even bothered with breakfast, and instead had headed straight for her aunt's chambers. Now, after having a long chat with Daidouji Sonomi, there were even _more_ facts trying to stuff themselves in her head. It was just too much for her to process.

"Oi," Syaoran's deep voice shook her from her thoughts. "Are you even paying attention?"

"What? Oh! Sorry," Sakura laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. "I was just…" her words drifted off as her thoughts once again returned to the scrolls sitting in her bedroom.

His dark brown eyes stared silently at her before he lowered his sword and walked over to her side. "Didn't you go to sleep after I got back last night? What were you doing?" he sounded almost concerned, and Sakura felt a blush rise to her cheeks.

"Ah… well, I just… I couldn't sleep," she finished lamely, unable to think up an excuse; her mind was already running overtime.

"You have all the tenacity of a five year old child," he growled.

The edges of Syaoran's mouth dipped down into a slight frown but to Sakura's surprise, he didn't seem angry. Finally, he said, "I apologize for Mei Ling's behavior towards you last night. She was rude, but I can assure you that there was no real intent behind it. Mei Ling was just… excited to see me again."

"Oh no, that's not what's bothering me. Really, I'm just a little tired is all," she said, startled. "Mei Ling-san seems like a very energetic girl."

"You call her by her first name," Syaoran noted, looking at her curiously. "Why?"

Sakura paused for a moment. Why _was_ she addressing his fiancée by her first name? "Well…" she began slowly. "I don't' know why, actually. It's probably just because I always hear you and Tomoyo-chan calling her by her first name. Plus, it feels weird to call her 'Li-san', because _you're_ already 'Li'."

"Kino-" Syaoran stopped, hesitating.

Sakura turned towards him, and tilted her head towards the side, letting him know that she was waiting for him to continue.

He eyed her quietly for a moment before deciding, "You can call me Syaoran."

Sakura felt her jaw drop, her mouth forming an 'o', and she _knew_ that she probably looked like an idiot, but she couldn't help it. What had suddenly possessed the young Li heir to do something so unlike him? Not that she was complaining, of course. Still, it was very strange and sudden. "Syao… ran," she said slowly, testing the feel of his name on her lips. She blushed slightly.

Syaoran stared at her, amused. "Yes dimwit, _Syaoran_."

Ignoring the insult, Sakura beamed up at him. Only Eriol… and _Mei Ling_, she thought darkly, addressed him as 'Syaoran'. It was a small gesture, but Sakura couldn't help but feel the force of the compliment he was subtly paying her. She was incredibly happy at the tiny privilege. "Okay then, _Syaoran_, you can call me Sa-" she immediately began faking a loud cough. "You may call me, um, Kura."

As soon as the name left her lips, Sakura felt as if there was something sour in her mouth. She didn't want him to call her _Kura_; she wanted him to call her **Sakura**. Kura just seemed so lacking.

Syaoran must have disliked the name on some level too, because he immediately scowled and said gruffly, "I think I'll stick with 'Kino'… for now at least."

Sakura agreed with him wholeheartedly, but she couldn't help but wonder why. If he wanted her to call him Syaoran, then what was wrong with _her_ name? "Eriol calls me 'Kura-san'. Why won't you?" she asked, perplexed.

He turned his head so that he was no longer meeting her eye and shrugged indifferently. "It doesn't… suit you. But that doesn't matter. You said you were tired right? Then maybe now isn't the best time for a spar," he answered, sheathing his sword, and she did the same. Sakura sighed. _She_ was the one who had asked him for some extra practice, but now that she thought about it, he was probably right. She couldn't concentrate, and there were probably better things he could be doing on a Sunday afternoon.

"I'll just go back to my room to rest a bit. Call me when it's time for lunch okay, Syaoran?" Sakura smiled at him cheekily.

She took one look at the incredibly amused expression on his face and shrugged, leaving through the double doors and walking into her room. Careful to shut the shoji door behind her, Sakura went straight to her dresser and silently pulled open the bottom drawer. As she removed the top layer of clothing, the cream-colored scrolls underneath were revealed.

She'd hid them there the night before, after Syaoran had yelled at her to go to sleep. Mercifully, he hadn't noticed them then, but Sakura felt queasy just thinking about the questions he would ask if he saw all the scrolls. It was safer this way.

Now, she picked up the rightmost scroll and began reading where she had left off the night before.

"Dance within the French court began…no… pas de deux… pas de deux… where is it?" she whispered.

"Oi Kino!"

Sakura jumped to her feet as the door slid open. With her foot, she quickly pushed the bottom drawer of her dresser closed and turned to greet Syaoran, the scroll in her hand conveniently tucked behind her back.

"Yes?"

His dark gaze took in her startled appearance. Their path began at her face and finally settled on the piles of clothing on the floor. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Re-organizing?"

Sakura laughed nervously. "Well, just moving some things around. What was it you wanted?"

Syaoran's gaze moved to her hands, both held behind her back and paused there for a moment before saying, "I wanted to show you something. Are you busy?"

He wanted to show her something? Sakura faltered, torn between continuing her search through the scrolls and going to see what Syaoran had to show her. It wasn't often he voluntarily offered to spend time with her without prompting or begging on her part.

"Um…" she hesitated before finally deciding. "No, I'm free. I'll meet you outside the dojo in a minute?"

Only after he disappeared behind the door did Sakura let out the breath she had been holding. That had been close… it wasn't that she didn't trust Syaoran to respect her privacy, it was just that she could think of no answers to all the difficult questions he would probably ask.

Quickly replacing both the scroll and piles of clothing, Sakura ran out to join her partner, who was waiting at the front. With one quick look at her, he turned and said, "Follow me."

The two of them set off down the hill into the valley and towards the trees, but after long minutes of walking, she finally asked, "Syaoran… where are we going?"

"The Sakura forest," he answered plainly, gesturing at the groves of trees that now surrounded them.

Sakura frowned at his broad back. "I **know** that we're in the Sakura forest, but _why_ are we here? What is it you wanted to show me? I've never been so deep inside before." She looked around at the bare limbs of the cherry blossom trees. Sakura guessed that few people had ever come to this section of the forest. It looked much more… untouched and _older_ than the rest of the forest. Plus, the trees here grew so thick that they seemed to act like walls. Where was Syaoran taking her?

His brown eyes flickered back in her direction, but his footsteps never faltered. Instead, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward, forcing her to walk quicker. "Stop asking so many questions and just come. I'm showing you something only Eriol and I know about, so stop being such a pain."

Sakura scowled at him and pulled on his arm, trying to tug away from him. "I can walk on my own… your grip is too tight."

He raised an eyebrow at her statement and merely grunted. Their pace didn't change, but his hold on her wrist did loosen a bit. "If you want to leave you can. No one is going to force you to come."

_You're coming pretty close_, Sakura thought rebelliously, but she simply glowered at him. "I didn't say I didn't want to come… I mean, I can all the way _here_ didn't I?"

Syaoran stopped walking suddenly, and Sakura bumped into him. "Why did you-"

"We're here," he said, and Sakura looked around. For a while the forest had been getting thicker, and twice she had almost tripped over a well-hidden root or broken branch, but the trees around her now had once again thinned and Sakura found herself staring at a small lake.

"It's… it's _beautiful_," she breathed, looking at the clear, glistening water. The "lake" was more like a rather large pond, and incredibly shallow. Sakura guessed that at its deepest point, the water would only reach to her knees. At the center, however, was a tiny island, and from where she was standing, Sakura could see that at the very middle of the island was a large cherry blossom tree.

The only problem was, there seemed to be no path. "Are we going to get wet then?" she asked, curiously. Not that she minded, but it was going to be cold.

Syaoran looked sideways at her, scoffing. "Not scared of a bit of water, are you Kino?"

"No, I was just asking," she said, glaring back at him. "We _are_ going to go over there, aren't we?"

"Yes, but I don't plan on swimming."

Sakura's eyes stared at him nervously as he took a few steps towards her, covering the distance between them. She expected him to say something to her, but he simply kept going, and something became stuck in her throat as he got closer and closer.

"What are you doing?" she asked shakily. He was so close her nose was about to bump into his chest!

"If you've got a problem, then _move_," he growled.

Sakura looked up at him in surprise. "W-What? Oh," she stepped to the side quickly, and watched in fascination as he pressed a round, weld-looking sort of bump the size of his palm in the trunk of the cherry tree she'd had been in front of only seconds ago.

To her astonishment, the bump sunk into the tree. "Syaoran… what did you…" her sentence trailed off as he pointed to the lake. She turned around to see what he was pointing at, and her jaw dropped open when she saw that a path of fifty or so flat, white stones had appeared at the top of the water, leading to the small island in the center.

"Be careful not to slip," Syaoran said, unable to suppress a grin at the sight of her obvious shock. "The steps are still covered with water."

"Syaoran... how did you _do_ that?" Sakura gasped. He was already stepping lightly across the rocks so she hurried to catch up with him. "This is _amazing_!"

Syaoran looked back at her, his grin faded now, but his eyes were laughing. "Eriol and I found this place years and years ago, and we ended up getting really wet crossing the water to get onto the island the first few times. It was worth it though. I don't think anyone else… except maybe my mother knows about this place, and it's a nice spot to get some piece of mind."

"But how did you two get rocks to float up out of the water? This is so…" she looked around her. "I can't believe a place like this even exists!"

"Perhaps you don't know, but the Academy is centuries old, and even the Li family, who took charge of it over two hundred years ago, doesn't know all of its secrets. There is a great history here," Syaoran said, grabbing Sakura's hand quickly as she lost her footing. "Clumsy," he said, the ghost of a smile on his face.

"Thanks… How did you find this place then?" she asked curiously, grinning sheepishly up at him from embarrassment.

"I won't lie to you, it was completely by accident. That day Eriol and I were ah… playing around and we found this place. We were _six_," he grumbled defensively when Sakura started laughing. "The both of us ended up getting scolded by my mother since we were both sick for a week afterwards. I'm warning you now, this water is _cold_."

"Oh?" Sakura said, still smiling. The image of a small Syaoran and small Eriol running around in the Sakura forest tickled her insides to no end. "And how long did it take you to find that secret bump on the tree?"

"Forget the bump," Syaoran frowned at the memory. "We couldn't even find this _lake_ again for the longest time. It might have slipped your notice while we were coming here, but it's nearly impossible to find this place."

"Nearly impossible?" she asked skeptically. "This is a _forest_. Surely you could get here if you just walked straight through and kept going. I noticed that we were almost going in _circles_ on the way in. Was that really necessary?"

"It's a maze," he said shortly as they reached the island. To Sakura's utmost surprise, the cherry tree she had seen from across the water and a large, white boulder-like stone was all that were on the island. Even the ground seemed devoid of any other plant life. It was covered by soft, white dirt.

Sakura sat down on top of the large boulder and Syaoran did the same. It could easily have seated five our six people comfortably, and the top was fairly flat and smooth. "A maze?" she asked quizzically. "I didn't notice."

Syaoran nodded. "We didn't notice at first either. Eriol was absolutely furious when he realized that we kept ending up _outside_ the forest every time we tried to just charge through. When you get into the thickest part of the forest, there are some places were, unless you try very hard and squeeze, it would be impossible to pass through. They aren't _walls_ exactly… more like barriers that you simply don't notice. And as far as I know, there is only one correct path that will lead you here. All other paths take you back outside into the shallow areas of the forest."

"How long did it take you to find this place again?"

"Two months."

Sakura stared at him. "You two were _that_ bent on finding this lake again?"

Syaoran shrugged. "The thing about Eriol is, he hates being wrong and he hates being outsmarted. Imagine a six year old genius yelling at a cherry blossom forest. It was ridiculous. He felt like the trees were poking fun at him."

"And you?" Sakura asked, chewing on her lip.

"I… was curious. See that mark you hand is resting on?"

At this, Sakura sprang up from the rock and looked at it closely. "This? What is this?" she pointed.

On the otherwise smooth surface of the boulder was carved a large, intricately-patterned circle with a sun and a moon on two opposite sides of it.

"Go on, you can sit," he said, and Sakura sat back down, this time, closer to Syaoran so that she could continue to stare at the strange symbol.

"I'd only seen that mark once before, and it was in my mother's office. When I asked my her about it, she refused to tell me much, only that it's called Clow's insignia," Syaoran continued to explain.

Sakura's cheek brushed against his shoulder as she turned to look up at him. "Who's Clow?"

"Clow is the name of the man who founded the Academy. Other than the fact that he was my family's predecessor, I don't know much about him – only that he was powerful," he said looking down at her. That had been a bad idea. Syaoran froze, unsure of what to do. Their faces were not two inches apart, and Sakura was biting her lip, lost in thought and looking… Syaoran looked away stiffly. Li Syaoran would not use the word "cute" to describe his dojomate.

"Wow… I never knew that there was so much to the Academy… this is not a normal school, is it?" she said slowly.

Syaoran scowled. "No, it's not. You're getting too close, Kino."

"Well _sorry_. I didn't mean to invade your little, private bubble," she huffed at him angrily before scooting away. "So how did you find the bump in the tree?"

"_That_ we found about two years ago. I was leaning against the tree when the bump sank in and the rocks appeared."

"You know… I feel as if I've seen this mark somewhere before," Sakura said absentmindedly, tracing the contours of Clow's insignia.

"Really?" Syaoran asked instantly, his eyes back on her in a flash. "Where?"

"I'm not sure… it just seems familiar," she said, surprised. Her companion looked excited, eager even. "I don't remember. Maybe I've seen it somewhere in my father's books before."

"Your father?" Syaoran mumbled before turning towards her seriously. "Send to your father and request that he send you any information he has in his possession regarding Clow. If he refuses you, inform him that the Li Clan asks cordially for his cooperation."

Sakura stared at him open-mouthed. "Why are you getting so worked about this? It's just a symbol!"

"You don't understand," he said impatiently. "Just get your father to send me that information!"

"My father is **dead**, Syaoran," Sakura said, hurt by his insensitivity. It was only after he asked slowly, "The Duke Kino is dead?" that she realized what a huge mistake she had made.

Sakura didn't know what to do. Her emotions bounded from being wounded to being terrified. "Ah, no what I meant was… we had a falling out," she lied hastily, making her excuses up as she went. "That's- that's the reason I came to the Academy. He's dead to me _as my father_… I can't look at him that way anymore and asking him for something is really out of the question. Don't ask that of me, Syaoran." As she stared with dread at Syaoran, she only prayed that he would accept her half-baked story. Her mind raced, trying to come up with plausible lies that might back up her story, but she was grasping at straws.

Syaoran frowned, thinking things over slowly. He wanted to demand that she comply with his wishes anyway, but understood that the situation required some delicacy. For her benefit, he gave her a small nod and an insincere, "I'm sorry", but in his mind he was putting the pieces together. Her father was dead.

Why had it escaped his notice before? He knew for a fact that the Duke Kino didn't have a daughter; the Academy had all noble family lines on record. If she wasn't Duke Kino's child, then who _was_ she and what was she doing here? … and how had she managed to escape detection so far? Did that mean that she had the Duke's permission to be here, disguised as his son?

"It's getting late, and you're probably still tired from this morning," Syaoran said, standing suddenly and patting the dust off of his hakama. "Let's go."

Sakura merely stared up at him wordlessly and only moved to follow when he had reached the path. He seemed to believe her, but something seemed off about his behavior, and it made her nervous.

"Syaoran… Syaoran wait for me!" she called suddenly, realizing how far ahead he was. Wasn't he the one who had said the forest was a maze? Even if most of the paths _did_ lead back out of the forest, who was to say there wasn't another one somewhere that she could get lost in?

"Syaoran- hey Syaoran!" He was ignoring her! She scrambled to catch up, running lightly across the stone path to the other side, where he was already standing. "Wait for me-aahHH!" Sakura screamed as her right zouri slid off her foot, and she began to fall towards the water.

She shut her eyes tightly, waiting for the cold embrace of the lake below her, and indeed, she _did_, feel a splash fall over her body, chilling her to the bone, but she hadn't landed in the water. Emerald eyes sprung open in surprise and looked up at their savior.

"Syaoran…" Sakura shivered into his chest. He must have moved at an incredible speed to reach her before she hit the water. But now it was _he_, not she, who was standing knee-deep in the lake. "Um…" she peeked up at him nervously, not sure if he was angry. "Oops?"

The Li heir sighed, exasperated. "Baka, didn't I tell you to be careful on the rocks? They're slippery!"

Now that he was already wet it didn't seem to matter any more. Still holding her in his arms, Syaoran waded through the water until they reached the forest side of the lake.

"Here," he said, putting her down and handing her the small shoe. "You can walk right? I caught your zouri."

Sakura grinned up at him and took a step forward to accept her zouri back, but let out another scream and immediately stumbled back. She would have fallen, once again, had Syaoran not reached out and caught her (again).

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, looking her over and steadying her with his arms.

Sakura felt hot tears well up in her eyes, but tried her best to not let them fall. She was such an IDIOT! Couldn't she have at least put her shoe on before taking a step? They were in a _forest_ for kami's sake! Of _course_ there would be sharp, pointy things waiting to mercilessly cut her foot on the ground. "It's… nothing. Just give me a second; I think I might have stepped on something," she murmured.

Her partner let out another long sigh and, before she could react, swept her up in his arms once again. "Come on," he said gruffly. He brought her over to the tree where the bump was and put her down. "Let me see."

The injury hurt, but Sakura was more embarrassed by her blunder than in actual, physical pain. "It's nothing," she said, swiping her arms at him, trying to fend him off.

"You are stubborn, aren't you?" he mumbled pushing her arms away and squatting down in front of her. Carefully, so not as to touch the cut, he raised her foot up so that he could inspect the wound.

"You stepped on a rock," he said flatly.

That was the last straw. Sakura blushed brightly and tried to pull her leg away from him, saying, "I _know_, I know! I'm a baka. Okay already! Just let me- OUCH!" She had moved her foot around too much, and Syaoran's thumb had pressed into the cut.

Unable to help herself this time, Sakura shed a few tears, despite her pitiful attempt to brush them away with her sleeve. She was just so _stupid_! _Three_-year-olds could probably handle themselves better than she could.

To her surprise, Syaoran's thumb wiped them away gently. "Wait here," he said.

Sakura watched as he pulled a sleeve of his gi off, revealing a black undershirt. Tearing the sleeve of his undershirt off, he walked over to the lake and placed it in the water. When he returned, he very carefully, very gently began to clean the cut on the bottom of her foot, and, in stupefied surprise, Sakura let him.

He made a total of three trips to the water, and after the third and final trip, he ripped his other sleeve off and wrapped it around her foot as a temporary bandage.

"There," he said, helping her to her feet again. She balanced on her left foot, wondering what she was going to do. If she put her zouri back on she could probably limp back to the dojo… but it would be a slow journey.

To her surprise, he bent over in front of her and said, "Get on, Kino."

Sakura felt mortified beyond belief. She hadn't had a piggyback ride since she was twelve! "You must be out of your mind."

"Unless you want to crawl back?" Syaoran offered stoically.

Defeated, she wrapped her arms around his neck and jumped. He caught her securely around her knees, and Sakura was glad he was in front and unable to see the furious blush on her face.

"For someone so small, you are certainly troublesome," he muttered. "Press the bump in the tree again. That'll make the path disappear."

Sakura did as she was told and the two of them set off into the forest once again.

After a few minutes of silent walking, Sakura mumbled into the collar of his gi, "Thank you, Syaoran." She still didn't quite believe that this was happening. The Li she had met a few months ago woke her up in the morning with death threats at the point of his sword. Now he was carrying her on his back all the way to the dojo.

He didn't respond immediately, but after a moment of a hesitation said, "I'm sorry for asking about your father." Syaoran couldn't turn around to look at her, but he felt rather than saw that she had a smile on her face.

"It's okay," she said, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck. "You didn't know."

Suddenly, she realized something very important. Could he… could he perhaps _feel…? _In her attempt to put some distance between his back and _her chest_, Sakura nearly threw herself off of him.

"What are you doing?" Syaoran yelled, trying to regain their balance. He bumped her back into place and tightened his grip around her knees. "Are you _trying_ to fall?"

"N-No," she stuttered, trying to think of what to do. Her breasts were small and bound almost completely flat, but still, would he be able to tell?

In front of her, Syaoran realized what the problem was. The water that had splashed into her lap back at the lake had soaked through her clothes and… he understood her embarrassment. It would be best not to make a big deal out of the situation, so he coughed gruffly and scolded, "Just don't move, idiot."

Sakura hesitantly obeyed, and silence once again fell between the two of them. She shivered into his back, and Syaoran shifted slightly under her. "Cold?" he asked.

"Probably not as cold as you," she noted. His pants were, after all, soaking wet because of her.

"Wait a moment then," he said, letting her down of his back softly. Syaoran removed his gi and wrapped it around her. "There," he said. "Now get on again."

"Syaoran!" Sakura exclaimed, trying in vain to return the article of clothing. "You're colder than I am! What's _wrong_ with you today?"

"If you get sick, I refuse to be the one stuck taking care of you. I can handle a bit of cold," he said, refusing to look her in the eye.

Reluctantly, she hopped back onto his back. "You're too nice for your own good," she said, half-admonishing, half-happy.

"And you are stupid," he retorted.

She grumbled into his neck but didn't continue with the insults as she usually would.; goosebumps were forming on his skin because of her.

"You sure you're okay?" she asked.

"Ask one more time and you're crawling home," he answered. "We're almost out of the forest anyway. And it's a good thing too, the sun is setting."

"Ah!" Sakura looked up. "I hadn't noticed."

"Well that's because you're-"

"An idiot," she finished for him. "I know already."

They… well _Syaoran_ walked in comfortable silence back to the dojo. Time seemed to pass rather quickly and Sakura was almost sure that she had half fallen asleep on the way there, but before she knew it, they were back at the dojo.

He left her in front of her room after she insisted, red-faced, that she could dress _herself _(his revenge for getting him wet), and returned to his room. Now, alone in her room, Sakura carefully changed so as not to disturb her foot.

"It's a good thing I have so many bandages," she muttered to herself, removing Syaoran's makeshift wrap and replacing it with white gauze. "That feels better…"

She looked at the piece of cloth in her hand and then over at the gi lying across the room. Hesitantly, Sakura tucked the black piece of sleeve into her fresh gi and hopped over to pick up the gi he had lent her. She stared at the rough fabric wordlessly. All the way back from the forest, she'd had her face pressed against his shoulder. Whether she liked it or not, she had been forced to breath in _his _scent. Now, she was curious. Even though she knew there was no one else in the room, Sakura looked around her to check that no one was looking. Shyly, she pressed her nose to the gi and inhaled.

It smelled like him. She had noticed before that Syaoran always smelled like the outdoors, like a musky pine mixed with sun. Sakura folded the large shirt and hopped out of her room.

Sakura realized from the lack of lamplight that Syaoran was probably not in his room, and she could smell the scent of warm green tea wafting in from the front of the dojo. Hopping out to the front and sitting down next to him, Sakura grinned. He had laid out two cups.

"Tea?" he asked, and she nodded. After holding the cup of hot tea in her hands and taking a long drink, Sakura sighed.

"Thanks for today, Syaoran," she said.

"Would you have let me just hop by myself all the way back to the dojo?" he asked rhetorically.

She pouted at him and said, "No! Well, that too, but I meant for all of today. Thanks for showing me that place too… it was amazing."

"Ah, I see," he said shortly. Sakura looked over at him and opened her mouth to say something when he suddenly said, "I thought you might like it. I always go there when there are things on my mind. You looked troubled today."

Sakura felt her cheeks warm. "Does Eriol mind that you're sharing this secret with me?"

"No, I don't think he'd mind, he likes you," Syaoran answered.

She took another long sip of tea and enjoyed the feeling of hot liquid sliding into her stomach. There was still something else she wanted to ask.

"Syaoran…" she hesitated. "Why are you so interested in Clow?"

The candlelight flickered between them, growing brighter with every moment as the sky around them became darker and darker. She could see the fire reflecting in his eyes, and suddenly she realized that Syaoran's eyes really weren't a dark brown at all. They were more of a shade of intense amber… his eyes were mesmerizing.

Syaoran seemed unwilling to answer at first, but after he looked at her, he said, "He's the reason my father left."

"Your father?" she said. Sakura wanted to ask more, but the expression on his face clearly told her that such a question was neither welcome nor would it be answered. "I see," she said.

"And I hate mysteries, just like Eriol," Syaoran said finally, the ghost of a smile playing on his face. Sakura found herself unable to look away from him. "The challenge of solving them interests me. And you, you're surrounded by mystery, too, aren't you?"

The wind suddenly picked up, and the two of them were drowning deeper into each other's amber and emerald depths when the candlelight suddenly went out, leaving them both in darkness.

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**Haha. I promise that the introduction of this lake, though random, will be very important in the future, so don't forget it! I thought that it was about time I got this plot moving, so here we go I suppose. **

**Review!!**

kami – God

baka - idiot

oi – hey

hakama – samurai pants

gi – samurai top

zouri – the sandals samurai (and most everyone else back then) wore


	12. Tsukishiro Sakura

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP. **

**So I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter… it turned out to be much longer than I had at first anticipated, but hopefully it was still to your liking. :D I think I've finally got this plot in motion… and hopefully it doesn't turn into another one of those 45-chapter catastrophes I've always written. =/ I believe I shall begin to consider writing short stories as opposed to epics… but it's too late for this one! Haha. **

**I'm really excited about Inscribed in the Blade. To be perfectly honest, I hadn't been looking to put so much **_**depth**_** into the story, but idea just keep popping into my head, and I just can't seem to curb my enthusiasm for writing this… so wish me luck! Hopefully this enthusiasm can stay constant the whole way through, and you'll all have a decent fanfiction all wrapped up nicely by the end of this year… (with constant updating, of course).**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I really can't express how much it means… and I'm being serious! You may not think that it's a big deal, but I really do value every single review. It helps to keep me motivated. **

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Twelve**

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The result of Syaoran and Sakura's Sunday afternoon escapade was a minor cold, for the both of them. The former, of course, handled all his lessons with the same ease and contempt he always did, yet the latter had a bit more difficulty. In the end, Sakura spent almost an entire Tuesday in bed after overexerting herself the Monday before.

She had, of course, flatly refused to be taken out of lessons, despite Syaoran and Eriol's firm insistence that she stay at the dojo and rest. It was only after she nearly fell off Kero during morning practice that her partner put his foot down.

Much to her embarrassment, Sakura had been slung over Syaoran's shoulder, and carried back to the dojo, kicking and screaming the entire way. He had left her in relative comfort after she had settled down a bit, snugly wrapped up in her futon, with a hot pot of tea next to her and orders for the maid, Mayumi, to look in on her from time to time to make sure that she was all right.

As it turned out, the day quickly became much more productive than she had anticipated. Left alone in her room, Sakura was finally able to peruse through all the scrolls and gather, at a glance, what their contents were made up of. They would still have to be read carefully later, but at least she now knew what manner of information her aunt had sent her.

A majority of the scrolls seemed to connect, in some way, to her sword style, the Sakura Dance. Others seemed completely irrelevant, and Sakura could only guess that her mother had asked Daidouji Sonomi for information on other subjects as well. There were two scrolls on dance itself, both foreign and Sakura was sure they would explain the term her mother had used, "pas de deux". A handful more were on some historical notes of sword making and one very thick scroll was actually the Kinomoto family lineage. Why the Daidouji's had been keeping a record of _her_ family line she would have to ask later, but it looked rather interesting, even if Sakura had little use for it.

What puzzled her most was the last group of scrolls. To her surprise, there were a few scrolls by a man, who remained unnamed, on the works of another man by the name of Clow. But even if this _was_ the same Clow as the man who had founded the Academy… why were all the references about him from foreign lands? According to the writer, and the scroll was rather old, judging by the faded ink and fragility of the paper, Clow had worked for nearly fifteen years in a place called England.

Sakura didn't know the names of many countries outside the nation, but there was definitely no "England" in Japan. What did this mean? Was this a different Clow, then? But surely this was too much of a coincidence to be simply disregarded…

Fueled by her curiosity, Sakura spent the rest of her time alone reading the first scroll on Clow. The scrolls were so thick… and the paper so fragile that she had to progress slowly, but by the time the dinner gong rang and a maid had brought her dinner to her, Sakura was finished with the first one.

She rubbed her eyes tiredly and tucked the scroll away before turning to her dinner. Her lunch, which she had left uneaten in her pursuit of information about Clow's history, had been taken away by a shocked maid who hadn't realized she'd skipped a meal. The aroma of dinner and the dull growl in her stomach was by now enough to pull Sakura away from her reading and over to the food.

She'd only taken the first delicious sip of miso soup when she heard heavy footsteps coming down the hall. Perhaps Syaoran?

Sakura sat inside her room, waiting expectantly, but quickly stood up and stepped out of her room at the sound of raised voices. He was scolding the maid for not making sure that she'd eaten all her meals.

"Syaoran!" she glowered, coming out of her room. Turning to the maid, she said kindly, "You may go now," before turning back towards him irritably. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"I ask that very same question of you," Syaoran growled lowly. "I thought I left strict orders for you to remain in your room and recuperate. Honestly, even a child knows to take better care of himself than you."

Grabbing her shoulders, he turned her around and marched her straight back into her room. "Eat," he commanded, forcing her to sit back down on her futon. With a sigh, he settled on the floor next to her. "You always _inhale_ food like a pig when you are well, so what on earth would possess you to _not _eat when you need to do so most?"

"Don't blame the maid!" Sakura mumbled with her mouth half-full. Quickly swallowing her food so that her mouth would be free to continue their verbal spar, she said indignantly, "If I don't feel like eating then I don't feel like eating! It's not her fault."

"I have no need for a servant who cannot follow orders," he answered stoically, but some of the edge to his tone had disappeared. "Mere scolding is light punishment." Syaoran fell silent for a few seconds as she continued to eat before saying, "You actually fell off of your horse today. Please at least attempt to take better care of yourself."

Sakura's chopsticks froze in midair as her emerald eyes darted up towards him, startled. His dark eyes met her anxious gaze gravely. Flustered, she looked away swiftly. He had been worried about her!

The shoji door slid open quietly, and the maid from before timidly came into the room and set a meal down in front of Syaoran. She bowed to him and began to apologize, but to Sakura's surprise, he merely waved her off. "It is fine," he said offhandedly, picking up his own dinner. "I ought to have realized that this idiot was too thick for anyone other than myself to handle. You may go now."

He chose to ignore the cheeky grin that lit onto her face and instead asked, "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better," she answered truthfully. Even if she'd spent the entire day reading, it was strangely relaxing compared to the daily bruises she accumulated during regular lessons. "I'll be able to go to class tomorrow."

Syaoran's brown… no, she corrected herself, _amber_ eyes regarded her for a moment before he nodded. "I won't take it easy on you tomorrow then."

She made a face at him. "Watch it, Li. One of these days I'm going to make you eat your words."

"Oh?" he asked, amused. "You will have opportunity enough, I suppose, though I won't allow you to try your hand tonight."

Sakura stared at him blankly "Try my hand tonight?" she repeated, not understanding.

Syaoran stared at her in bewilderment before reaching over and touching the back of his hand to her forehead. "Please explain to me," he remarked slowly. "How it is, if you have no fever, that your brain seems curiously slow? I assume our bet couldn't possibly have slipped your mind, the bet about the final competition at the flower festival."

A look of comprehension dawned upon her features. "Ohh," she said. "I forgot."

Syaoran decided that returning to his food would make better use of his time. This girl was ridiculous.

"Wait," Sakura said suddenly, causing him to gaze reluctantly over at her. She frowned at him. "What do you mean that I'm not going tonight? There's an event tonight that all the students from both schools are supposed to attend!"

"It does not matter," he said simply, finishing the last of his rice off quickly. "No matter how capable you think yourself, surely you wouldn't want to risk spreading your illness to the young ladies of the Daidouji Institute? You aren't going anywhere tonight." In a slightly gentler voice he added, "Missing lessons this morning will have been meaningless if your condition worsens by going to a silly party."

Sakura was all scowls, but her partner had played the card that she was most likely to heed. There _was_, she admitted grumpily, a very good chance that others might catch her cold, and it wasn't as if she actually _wanted_ to attend the social events anyways. A wry smile found its way to her lips. He knew her too well.

"Fine," Sakura huffed, crossing her arms. "Just go and woo your women; parties bore me anyways."

Her partner gave her a small nod before rising and walking to the door. "I'll send the maid in again to pick up our bowls, so hurry and finish eating."

"Is this how you're supposed to treat a sick patient?" she asked sarcastically.

The ghost of a smile passed over his features as he shut the door behind him and said, "Only sick puppies like you."

Sakura seriously debated running out of the room after him, demanding that he take his insult back, but in the end she settled for furiously taking a huge bite of fish. "Stupid Syaoran," she muttered under her breath.

Ten minutes later the maid, Mayumi, came in to clean up. She thanked Sakura profusely and begged her forgiveness several times, all the while bowing over and over again, but Sakura merely grinned and asked her to sit down and chat with her for a while. As enthralling as the scrolls were, they'd been her only companions the whole day and now that Syaoran had left, she was beginning to feel the need for some more interaction with actual humans.

The disorientated servant kneeled in a very ladylike manner on the tatami floor.

"So where is your family, Mayumi-san?" Sakura asked curiously. She'd always wondered where all the servants came from. Certainly a good number of them probably had families in the villages near by, but it would be impossible for all of them to be from there. "No! Stay! Don't worry about the bowls for now; you can take care of them later. My room doesn't exactly make good conversation."

The young girl hesitated. "Maa… Kino-sama…"

"It's fine! It's fine! Just for a few minutes… please?" Sakura pleaded, her hands clasped in front of her. Suddenly it occurred to her that she was probably acting a bit too girly, and Sakura quickly retracted her hands and said gruffly. "I asked you a question."

Mayumi still looked uncertain, but as the request had become almost an order, she had no choice but to obey. "I don't have a family, Kino-sama. They died in a fire when I was four, and I grew up in an orphanage until I was twelve."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Sakura said quietly. "May I ask, how did you come to work here then?"

"Please don't apologize Kino-sama-"

"Kino-san is fine," Sakura cut in and when the maid looked about to protest, she quickly said. "I insist."

Mayumi looked hesitant yet again, but said, "I'm very grateful to this Academy. Kino-sama… san" – she corrected quickly at Sakura's scowl – "may not be aware, but there is little chance for an orphan to survive in this country, especially right now during such violent times. Li-sama has taken in scores of orphaned boys and girls and given them the option of working here. I am indebted to the Li family."

"I never knew," Sakura said, surprised and delighted at the same time. "Are you planning on leaving once you've earned your independence?"

Mayumi smiled and shook her head. "Li-sama requires only three years of service before we're allowed to leave if we wish… but I do not. I have made a new family here, and I am content. There is no reason for me to wish to leave the Academy… outside there is only war and misfortune."

"But still… it's really amazing that the Academy could accept so many servants – didn't you need to be trained?"

"Yes, but…" the maid hesitated, unsure of whether or not it would be wise to continue. "The servants here are very, very well trained you see. Some families of servants have been here since almost the founding of the Academy it seems. The highest-ranking servants are entrusted with more difficult and sometimes secret jobs. They are our teachers."

Sakura laughed. "So you guys have rankings too? Troublesome things, aren't they?"

They were both laughing softly together when the door slid open.

"Kura-kun?" a pretty face peeped in.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura yelped happily, scrambling out of her futon. "What are you doing here? Doesn't the event start soon?"

"Well, that's what I was hoping to see you about…" the Daidouji heiress' words trailed off as she caught sight of the second person in the room.

Immediately, Mayumi bowed and stood to exit the room. "I really must be leaving; I have other chores to take care of."

"Let's talk again later, Mayumi-san!" Sakura said cheerfully. The servant girl merely smiled and slid the shoji door shut once again.

When they were sure that Mayumi was gone, Sakura turned to her friend and asked, "What is it you wanted, Tomoyo-chan?"

"Sakura-chan, are you really sick? I heard from Hiiragizawa-san that you nearly fell off of Kero-chan today!" Tomoyo asked worriedly.

"No, no. I'm fine now… really! I've been resting all day," she said, grinning. "Oh, by the way. About those scrolls that your mother sent me-"

"We can work and talk at the same time," Tomoyo interrupted abruptly, standing quickly and pulling Sakura to her feet. "We need to get you ready as quickly as possible. Even arriving fashionably late has its limits!"

"Getting ready… for what? What?" Sakura squeaked as Tomoyo commanded her to go outside and wash her face.

"You don't have time for a bath so we'll have to settle for this. Hurry!"

"That's not what I meant, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura said, exasperatedly as her cousin pushed her out the door. "I meant _what_ am I getting ready for."

"This is the perfect opportunity silly! If you're not really sick, then you're going to tonight's event as a girl!"

For the next half hour Tomoyo rapidly dressed Sakura's hair and applied some light makeup to her features. "Your hair is so silky… it's a shame that you had to change it to a samurai cut," she lamented sadly. "We don't have time for anything fancy, so I supposed a traditional knot will have to do. Here, turn around so that I can help you with your kimono."

"Are you sure no one will recognize me, Tomoyo-chan? At least let me _see_ myself!"

"You may see yourself after I'm done with you and no sooner than that," the amethyst-eyed girl shushed her friend. "Hold out both your arms."

The process of kimono wearing always took a long time, but somehow, Tomoyo managed to magically drape the magnificent fabric over her shoulders and tie it securely, with all its layers, within ten minutes. "There… perfect. Here, come take a good look at yourself."

Tomoyo led Sakura over to the long mirror. "Is that… me?" Sakura asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes silly," she chided. "That's you."

Her auburn locks had been masked with a long, black wig – since auburn-haired girls were rare, Tomoyo said. That in itself might have been enough, but the carefully placed makeup that had been dabbed onto her cheeks, lips, and eyes brought back a feminity to Sakura's features that she hadn't seen in a long time. Sakura smiled, satisfied. Not even Syaoran would recognize her… though she'd rather not take the chance.

"Is this your kimono, Tomoyo-chan?" she asked, twirling around. It was a light green and white kimono, which complimented her eyes. Over it ran a patter of powdery Sakura petals, offset by a surprisingly light, white obi. "It's beautiful."

"I made this one," Tomoyo said, happily. "I'm glad you like it. I had meant to give it to you as a present last summer… but we couldn't make it all the way to your home. But now's not the time for this! We have to go!"

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Syaoran gazed off into the rabble, not really paying attention to the girl by his side as the two of them walked around the perimeter of the banquet hall. Today the party had been moved indoors where it was warmer and there was better lighting.

But still, the young Li heir found himself thinking about the sick girl presumably still sleeping in their dojo. Maybe he would go back early tonight and keep her company.

"Syaoran… hey, Syaoran, are you listening?" Mei Ling asked quietly, stopping. Her fiancé looked over at her in surprise.

"Sorry Mei Ling… I'm just a bit tired. What was that last part?" he apologized, feeling a bit guilty. Even though she could be a bit annoying at times, Mei Ling was still his cousin… and fiancée; Syaoran was obligated to pay some attention to her, at the very least. Even more than that, they were childhood companions, and even now he cared greatly about her happiness.

The Chinese beauty pouted up at him, but let it go. "I was talking about Wei-san! Wei-san told me right before I left the Institute that my training is finished… and that he wants to return to your side as soon as he finishes up some business at home. He'll probably be here in a few days."

"Your training is finished?" Syaoran asked, startled but pleased. "You must have made some real progress since last I saw."

Mei Ling beamed up at him. "I've been working really hard to catch up to you. And… I'll be graduating in four years as well. We…" she blushed. "We don't need to get married right away. But do you think I could come stay with you after leaving the Daidouji Institute?"

Syaoran took one good look at her earnest expression and looked away. "I-"

"Mei Ling-chan!" a girl called from the side. "Could you come here for a moment… I…" The brunette gave her friend a pleading look.

Sighing, Mei Ling smiled up at her fiancé, "I'll be right back."

"Take your time," he said, and she disappeared into the crowd, leaving him alone. Syaoran watched her go, feeling a bit uncomfortable and guilty. Shifting slightly, he smoothed the fabric of his sleeve and crossed his arms, prepared to wait for Mei Ling to return.

Just then, however, the doors of the hall opened suddenly, and several people, including Syaoran, turned to see who came in, and to his surprise, the usually cold and offsetting male felt his throat grow dry.

He recognized the girl on the left as Daidouji Tomoyo… but the girl on the right he failed to identify. Yet it was strange, Syaoran felt as if his eyes were glued to the mysterious girl dressed in the magnificent pale green kimono. Her eyes were exactly the same shade as Sakura's.

"My, what lovely ladies. And what is this? Syaoran, your date deserted you?" Eriol came up behind him suddenly, grinning. "Then we simply _must_ find you another girl to escort for the night."

"They seem to have enough company already," Syaoran noted dryly as he regained his composure, watching as a group of students from the Academy began converging around the two girls, each boy trying to ask for their names.

"Maa, maa. Don't be such a spoilsport. If I remember correctly, we're supposed to be _getting to know_ the young ladies?" Eriol said, chuckling and pushing Syaoran in the direction of the two girls. It was very unlike him, but the amber-eyed first rank felt content to allow his friend to usher him closer and closer to Tomoyo's beautiful companion.

When they reached the crowd, it parted for them, and many of the spectators immediately began whispering. Eriol walked directly to Tomoyo and offered her his arm, which she took happily. Realizing what had just occurred, Syaoran was reminded of the fact that Mei Ling would soon be looking for him and that everyone was staring. He thought it wisest to leave, but at his friend's pointed glare and loud declaration of "And this is my friend, Li Syaoran!" he had no choice but to offer the emerald-eyed beauty his arm as well.

Kami have mercy on her when Mei Ling found the two of them together.

"How are you enjoying the party?" Syaoran asked politely, gentlemanlike despite his discomfort.

"I just arrived a few moments ago…" the lady on his arm answered slowly, with just a small hint of sarcasm. "I could, perhaps, tell you in a few minutes."

Her blunt response startled him and Syaoran found himself noting with some small interest that she had a very intelligent, albeit wary expression in her eye, but he led her dutifully away from the crowd as Eriol and Tomoyo, too, began walking around the room. "Since I have already been introduced," he said courteously. "May I ask your name?"

The girl next to him flushed but simply said, "Tsukishiro Sakura."

Syaoran's eyebrows rose. "Tsukishiro? Are you by any chance related to Yukito-sensei?"

"Ah… yes," Sakura stammered, doing her best not to look him in the eye. _Why_ was it Syaoran who had taken her arm? This was beyond awkward. "Yukito-san is my older brother."

The two began walking again, quicker this time as Sakura picked up the pace to catch up with Eriol and Tomoyo.

"T-Tomoyo-chan," Sakura murmured almost pleadingly.

Looking back, her cousin took pity on her and turned to her escort, "Might I switch over to Sakura-chan for a moment, Hiiragizawa-san? She seems a bit… distressed."

Her companion feigned an expression of agony beforing laughing good-naturedly and nodding. "Of course, my lady."

She detached herself from his arm and went to Sakura's side. Syaoran, quite willingly, went to walk by Eriol.

"Don't you recognize her, Syaoran?" Eriol teased quietly as they strolled in front of the two girls.

His friend crossed his arms and shook his head indifferently. "She says she's Yukito-sensei's younger sister, but I've never met his family before so no, I do not recognize her."

"And your opinion?" he prompted.

"On what?" Syaoran asked dryly. "Actually don't answer that, I already know. She's very quiet, I suppose. I did not gather anything otherwise particularly interesting or endearing about her. That is all."

Eriol sighed.

Behind them, Sakura was clinging desperately to her friend's arm. "Tomoyo-chan!" she hissed in a small voice. "Even if he can't recognize my _face_, what if he recognizes my _voice_? I knew this was a bad idea!"

"Don't get so upset Sakura-chan! He hasn't noticed anything at all, and if your own roommate can't tell it's you then no one can! Just enjoy the night and let loose a bit."

Sakura frowned, completely unsatisfied and feeling a little desperate. She'd worked so hard to hide her identity for the past few months… wouldn't it all go down the drain if she was discovered? She wasn't here to have a good time! She was here to find the man who had murdered her parents!

"Tomoyo-chan…" she hissed.

"Ah! I forgot! Eriol-san, will you please accompany me to Yelan-sama's quarters? Okaa-sama wanted me to deliver something to her," Tomoyo said suddenly, causing Eriol and Syaoran to turn around in surprise.

Eriol's face broke out into a large smile and he nodded, "It would be an honor to accompany you wherever it is you would like to go."

"If it's my mother, Daidouji-san. I can take you as well," Syaoran added civilly.

"No, no. You stay here and keep Sakura-chan company. It wouldn't do for her to be mobbed to death by the other students," Eriol answered. "In any case, Tomoyo-san is _my _date for the evening, and we will only be a few minutes anyways." And the two of them left, arm in arm, both grinning blissfully.

Sakura glared furiously at her traitorous cousin's retreating figure before looking up at her partner reluctantly and letting out a nervous laugh. "Would you… like to go and get some food or tea?"

Syaoran shrugged and folded his arms into his sleeves and they walked over to the table where servants were serving platters of light drinks and food.

Sakura looked over all of them happily, finally deciding on a stick of dango. She took a big bite happily while Syaoran watched her, amused by her obvious delight in food. Upon seeing the expression on his face, she blushed and immediately began to take smaller bites. It seemed that re-summoning up her feminine habits was a bit more difficult than she had expected.

"Ahaha…" she laughed awkwardly. "Well I haven't- ah!"

She let out a small scream as a boy inadvertently backed into her, pushing her over. Her first instinct was to step backwards to regain her balance, but this attempt proved disastrous as her foot caught on the hem of her kimono and she was sent toppling to the floor.

Syaoran moved quickly, securing his right arm around the small of Sakura's back and steadying her with his left hand. Emerald eyes were suddenly locked onto his own amber pupils in surprise as they stared at each other.

Their faces were very close, and a light pink color was beginning to tinge her cheeks, but that was not what Syaoran was concentrating on. What he noticed was the way her eyes and his seem to fit even as they stared at each other, as if they were familiar with each other, and the characteristic double blink of her lashes. He happened to know a girl who blinked twice and very quickly when she was surprised, and whose eyes affected him the same way the two he was staring into did. But she was asleep in her futon at the dojo… and had auburn hair.

He frowned, still wondering about the disarming affect her emerald eyes had on him. When he lifted her back upright again, his arms automatically stayed wrapped around her, forcing the bewildered Sakura in disguise to lean into his chest. He was too caught up in thought and _she_ was too stupefied to realize what they were doing, but after a few seconds of simply _standing_ there in that position, they both began to realize how much attention they were attracting.

Sakura wasn't sure whether to be more amused or vexed by the sudden turn of events. She would have been content to continue wondering for a while longer had a loud screech not woken the both of them from their reverie.

"SYAORAN! Who is _she_?!"

The male in question shut his eyes and sighed. Mei Ling always did have terrible timing.

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**Haha.. so what do you all think? Drop me a REVIEW and let me know!**

baka – idiot

kami – God

kenjutsu – sword fighting

dango – a sort of Japanese snack made of sweet, multi-colored sticky balls on a skewer


	13. The Key

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP. **

**So glad to hear (or, I suppose, read) that you all enjoyed the last chapter. :D I'm working really hard to update at least once a week… so keep cheering me on! Haha. **

**Enjoy. **

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Thirteen**

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Sakura felt a cold shiver trickle down her spine. She knew that voice… and so did Syaoran. The arms around her tightened for a moment before releasing her, allowing her to stand on her own. She managed to mumble a soft "arigatou" before his fiancée closed in.

"Syaoran!" Mei Ling screeched, causing even _more_ heads to turn their direction. "Who is she and **why** were you embracing her?" Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes, and to Sakura's surprise, she felt a bit guilty.

"Mei Ling-san," she began slowly. "Someone had accidentally knocked me over, and Li-san was simply kind enough to catch me before I fell. Please don't misunderstand." When she looked back at Syaoran, expecting him to agree, she was thrown off guard by the confused expression on his face. "Li-san?" she asked tentatively.

"Don't- Don't _talk_ to him!" Mei Ling shrieked again. This time, it seemed enough to force Syaoran to say something.

"Mei Ling be quiet, you're causing a commotion," he said firmly, ignoring her indignant huff. Turning to Sakura he said politely, "Are you alright then, Tsukishiro-san?"

It felt weird for him to address her so formally, but she shook it off and smiled softly. "Yes, thank you for saving me from a rather… embarrassing accident."

"Not at all. I am glad to be of service. Might I introduce to you, Mei Ling," Syaoran said, and upon the Chinese heiress' glare he sighed and added. "My fiancée."

Somehow, Sakura felt different as she watched Mei Ling attach herself to her fiancé's arm and scowl at her. When she had been Kino, dealing with Mei Ling had seemed like a pain. Now, _she_ felt more like an outsider, almost as if she really _was_ meeting the both of them for the first time. Sakura wasn't sure she liked that feeling. "Congratulations," she said politely. "May I inquire as to the date of your wedding? I will be sure to send my good wishes for the both of you."

This statement seemed to completely redeem her in Mei Ling's eyes because suddenly she was beaming brightly at Sakura. Syaoran, however, looked more confused than ever. That is, there was a slight crease between his eyebrows, which Sakura could recognize to mean that he was confused. Otherwise, his outwardly demeanor was all civil indifference.

"Syaoran, introduce her to me!" Mei Ling hissed, and the amber-eyed boy sighed.

"Mei Ling, this is Tsukishiro Sakura, Yukito-sensei's younger sister. She came with Daidouji-san, but since Daidouji-san and Eriol had to go take care of something, I was given the honor of escorting Tsukishiro-san around the party tonight-"

"Which, I am afraid, I will relieve you of right now," Sakura finished hurriedly, seeing her chance to escape. When the two of stared at her questioningly she said, "Now that Mei Ling-san is here, I couldn't possibly intrude, you two must have so little opportunity to enjoy spending time with each other. I can find my way perfectly well now… in fact, I think it might even be more advisable for me to return to my rooms. I hope you two have a splendid evening."

Sakura made a little bow and turned to leave, but the two of them stopped her out of courtesy. "Why don't Mei Ling and I walk you back to your chambers? It would be incredibly rude of me to neglect the duty Daidouji-san entrusted me with."

"Ah, Tomoyo-chan knows I can take perfect care of myself. You really don't need to trouble yourselves with looking after me… I'll be fine, really!" she insisted, already edging into the crowd. "It was nice meeting the both of you!" Sakura called behind her as she turned and all but ran away from them.

As soon as she was gone, Syaoran turned to Mei Ling and asked, "Doesn't she go to the Academy? You don't recognize her? She seems your age."

Scowling, she crossed her arms and glared at him. "You're lucky that girl was so polite or I would have never let you get off so easily. Did you think she was pretty?" Mei Ling demanded.

"Doesn't she go to the Academy?" Syaoran repeated impatiently.

"Why does it matter? Did you think she was pretty?" Mei Ling retorted, matching him glower for glower.

Syaoran frowned. Now was not the time to be playing word games with Mei Ling. He wanted to know where that girl had come from, and the only way he would get that information out of his possessive fiancée would be to answer her question. But he couldn't very well tell her, yes, he had thought her absolutely beautiful and that her smile had reminded him of cherry blossoms in bloom!

Finally he settled for an ambiguous, "Her eyes are a strange color." A strangely _beautiful_ color so similar to Kino's that he would almost be positive it was Kino, herself, had the girl's hair not been black.

This answer, however, seemed to satisfy Mei Ling, who immediately became bubbly and agreeable again. "No she doesn't go to the Academy, at least I don't think so. I've never seen her before. Actually I was almost sure she was a relative of that roommate of yours until you mentioned she was Tsukishiro-san's little sister. Wasn't she just invited here for the parties?"

Syaoran refrained from answering and merely stared off in the direction the girl had disappeared in, a strange and overwhelming curiosity warming his chest. His interest was not in the least bit romantic, however pretty the young female was, but there was such a mix of familiarity and unfamiliarity to her manner that Syaoran could not help but feel beguiled. It was almost as if he knew this stranger's touch. She was Yukito-san's younger sister?

Sakura, the girl in question, was currently walking at a rather high speed in the direction of her dojo. It had suddenly occurred to her that with Tomoyo gone, it would take even longer to complete her transformation back into a boy, and if Syaoran decided to return early…

… she didn't even want to think about what would happen. Being discovered now, especially by him, was not an option.

Quickly letting herself into her own room, Sakura stripped her kimono off and dipped a towel in the cold wash basin left in her room from earlier that day. The way Syaoran had been looking at her before… it had definitely not been normal. Tomoyo's disguise was good, but not flawless. Chances were that he was able to notice that something was definitely off about her. It wasn't as if many people had emerald eyes… what if he hurried back?

Swiftly wiping all traces of makeup off her face, Sakura stared into the mirror. How was it that a little face paint went such a long way? If… _When_ she returned to the South she'd have to ask Tomoyo to teach her some techniques. She'd really looked like a completely different person tonight.

Sakura winced as she pulled the black wig from her hair. Apparently Tomoyo had stuck some pins in the back where she couldn't reach, but she'd just have to bear with it for now.

Standing up, Sakura checked herself in the mirror. Had she forgotten anything? "I'm back to Kino I guess," she mumbled to herself, relieved. Slipping into the cool cloth of her yukata, Sakura let out a satisfied sigh. It had been fun becoming a girl again for the night, but for now she preferred to be on the safe side.

Suddenly, the sound of the front shoji door sliding open made her freeze. Syaoran was back. Her eyes scanned the mess of kimono, face paint, and wig strewn across the floor. _Damn_.

Her heart was still pounding loudly as the door to her room slid open slightly. Sakura tried to relax her eyes and keep her breathing steady, but she had the distinct impression that he knew she was awake.

After a moment, however, the small crack of light disappeared as her door shut. Sakura sat up in surprise, staring at the room's only exit. Why hadn't he said anything? She was sure he'd probably guessed that she was only feigning sleeping. Sakura waited a good three minutes, listening to the silence before she was willing to get up out of her futon and quietly remove the kimono, makeup, etc. she had hid under the covers of her futon to more permanent hiding places in her room.

Well, it was odd, but if he wasn't going to ask, she certainly wasn't going to complain.

Across the hall, the youngest Li heir sat wordlessly in the darkness of his room. That Kino had been awake just moments before Syaoran had reached her room was certain, since the smell of burning candle had not yet faded. But that did not necessarily mean that she had anything to do with the girl he had met today.

It was simply that, the moment he had first laid eyes on Tsukishiro Sakura… and that was another thing too! He was positive Kino's real first name was _also_ "Sakura", but of course Sakura was such a common name... In any case, the second he'd seen the girl, presumably Yukito's younger sister, he'd been instantly reminded of Kino! Was it really just because they had the same eye color?

Syaoran shook his head and inhaled and exhaled deeply. This wasn't like him. Why was he allowing this to set him on edge? It would be better for him to simply put it out of his mind.

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Sakura slipped out of bed early the next morning, and, after changing into her normal training outfit, set off at a mild jog towards Tomoyo's rooms. She saw only a handful of servants along the way, but then again, everyone was probably still in bed. The Academy wouldn't fully be awake for another hour or so.

Just as she stood in front of Tomoyo's house, debating what would be the best way to call her friend from her room without attracting too much attention, Mayumi walked out. Sakura stared at her for a moment, making sure that it was, indeed, her, before smiling widely and saying, "Mayumi-san! Can I ask a favor?"

"Kino-sama –ah, Kino-san, I mean," the maid corrected herself. "How many I help you?"

Sakura grinned and ran over to her side. "Mayumi-san, can you please deliver this to Tomoyo-chan? She'll probably still be sleeping, but I'm sure she won't mind if you tell her it's from me." She placed a folded slip of paper into her hands. "I'm counting on you!"

"Hai, I will deliver this immediately," she said with a bow, and disappeared quickly into the building. A few minutes later both she and Tomoyo appeared at the door, the latter with a cheerful smile on her face. Sakura wondered how anyone could be so happy and well groomed in the morning. Tomoyo-chan always _did_ have a way of looking impeccable no matter the hour or situation.

"Kino-kun! Let's go!" Tomoyo hummed happily, and after the two of them bid goodbye to Mayumi, they set off at a leisurely pace in no particular direction.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Sakura could no longer hold back. "Tomoyo-chan!" she burst out. "How could you leave me with Syaoran last night? That was terrible! I _know_ he realized something was off. And it was weird, especially when Mei Ling-san saw the two of us together and got mad and I don't have any place to hide the kimono and wig so you need to take them back before Syaoran sees them in my room!" she finished rapidly, forced to pause afterwards to regain her breath.

"Maa… no need to get so excited, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo chided, and if anything, her smile seemed to get even larger.

"Ne… Tomoyo-chan, did something good happen?" Sakura asked, suspiciously, finally taking note of the strange twinkle in her friend's eye.

"Not really… and what about you? What happened to make you leave so early? I thought you said that you didn't really mind Mei Ling-san," Tomoyo avoided the question skillfully, but Sakura could see the slight blush that had risen to her friend's cheeks.

She was tempted to immediately begin questioning and prying for answers, but a sudden realization redirected her focus. "How did you know that I left as soon as Mei Ling-san came?" Sakura asked, glaring at Tomoyo. "I thought you left somewhere with Eriol-san."

"I heard it from Li-san after I returned and asked where you'd gone. You really shouldn't have left so early," she answered smoothly.

Sakura frowned, but decided to let it go. The two of them continued on for a while longer, just walking and talking, but before a half hour had passed, they had circled towards the stable and saw Syaoran heading towards it. His head turned at the sound of their footsteps, and he nodded politely.

"Do you want me to walk you back Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura asked, waving back at her partner.

The Daidouji heiress watched her friend with a gentle smile. "Go on, Sakura-chan. I can get back just fine on my own. I was thinking that I'd pay a visit to a friend of mine along the way anyways."

"I'll see you later, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura called, jogging off towards Syaoran, who waited patiently for her until she reached his side. When she did finally catch up to him, he allowed his lips to curve upwards slightly.

"I was wondering where you'd gone off to this morning. Want to go for a ride with me?" he gestured towards the horses.

Sakura laughed. "I'd love to."

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"How long has it been since you've come here?" Syaoran asked as they rode Kero and Lei Feng around the outer edges of the Academy.

"Let's see… I think tomorrow makes four months, now that you mention it. Why?"

Her companion patted his horse's head absentmindedly as they slowed to a trot. "I heard from Eriol that your birthday was your first day of class. Now that I think about it, I never gave you a present did I? Shall I make it up to you?"

Sakura stared at him in surprise, and against her will a light blush began to spread across her cheeks. It was strange for her to think that nearly four months had passed since she'd left home and come to the Academy. Everything seemed so much like a blur, and half the time she'd been too scared and lonely to dwell on anything other than her parent's deaths. Even with Yukito-san and Eriol-san keeping her company everything had seemed so bleak.

But now… she chanced a quick look in his direction before her eyes returned to the horse in front of her. Now things seemed different, somehow. She'd be lying if she denied that she was beginning to enjoy life here, especially with Syaoran. A calm smile teased the corners of her lips upwards. The two of _them_ had certainly come a long way. From waking up to the tip of his sword to riding peacefully side by side in the morning just for the heck of it.

"No, don't bother with something like that. That was so long ago… and that's not even my real birthday." As soon as the last phrase left her lips, Sakura stiffened, realizing what she had just said to him.

"No?" Syaoran asked, looking quietly over at her. He waited, as she seemed to struggle with her words. The truth was, a part of him was dying to simply ask her – ask her who she was and why she was here and what she thought of him. But he would wait until she was ready, for her sake.

"My real birthday is in spring," she said finally. "I simply told them that I was older so that I could be put with a higher level class. I didn't know that it didn't really make too big of a difference then."

Syaoran merely nodded.

The two of them continued to ride on in silence for a while, but Sakura began to fidget nervously, an action that did not go unnoticed by Syaoran. He mulled over what the best way to cheer her up was, and decided in the end that it would probably be most effective to make her mad.

"It didn't do you much good did it?" he commented, keeping his expression stoic. "Lying about your age. You haven't even succeeded in beating me _once_ in fist fighting or kenjutsu, and you are by far the smallest boy out of us all."

Sakura stared up at him, surprised at the sudden insult.

His amber eyes gazed scornfully over at her. "I honestly thought that you had some potential when you first came… and yet your grades have been suffering, haven't they? You still have a long way to go, Kino," he taunted, intentionally pushing her buttons. Sakura hated to be underestimated, after all.

"That doesn't mean I'm lacking in skill!" Sakura said defensively. "Even Yue-sensei admits that you and Eriol are both one in a million! It's not my fault I can't compete with that."

"Complimenting me won't change reality, Kino," Syaoran crossed his arms and smirked. "If Eriol and I are one in a million, what does that make you? A dime a dozen?"

She growled dangerously, but Syaoran didn't bat a lash. "My intention is not to blindly insult you. I truly mean it when I say that you really ought to work on your muscles a bit more. I don't know when I've ever seen such skinny arms before."

"_Apparently_," she hissed. "Your eyes aren't as keen as I thought they were. I might not be the strongest, but I can beat Kudou in a spar!"

"You thought incorrectly," he scowled. "Please refrain from limiting my abilities with your incapability to beat anymore other than the brains-only Kudou."

"Why… why are you so… _disagreeable_?" Sakura fumed.

"Being agreeable is not always a sign of character."

"And being disagreeable is? Stop playing with my words!" she countered, angrily. "Take it back. I'm not weak!"

Syaoran resisted the urge to smile, it was simply too much fun to tease her. "I never said you were. Stop putting words into my mouth."

"What? But you­-­"

"All I said was that you have a long way to go."

"But that's…" Sakura trailed off, at a loss. Somehow 'But that's just as good as saying weak' seemed a bit childish. Did he _always_ have to outsmart her?

As if reading her thoughts, he tossed one more insult into the pot. "And you ought to study more."

Sakura opened her mouth to retort, but they both stopped their horses at the sound of the gong.

"It's best not to be late. You need all your energy so that you can do your best during lessons. You have such a long way to go, after all," Syaoran goaded, kicking Lei Feng into a gallop towards the stables. Sakura gave a very unladylike snort before following after.

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Silver eyes surveyed the rows of students kneeling in front of them. The class sat in silence, waiting for the martial arts master's instructions. Finally, Yue spoke. "How many of you have heard of the Chinese fighting style, Tai-Chi?"

Several hands raised, and he nodded at Yamazaki's. "Tai Chi Chuan is a martial arts formed developed several centuries ago in China. Its name literally means 'boundless fist' or 'ultimate fist'… but it is fundamentally an inner martial arts style," Yamazaki explained.

"Correct. For the next few months we will be learning Tai Chi Chuan in order to better refine our fist fighting techniques," Yue told the class.

A hand in the back rose, and he nodded at it. "Question, Andou?"

"Yes sir. That is, Ohjii-sama practices Tai Chi Chuan… sir, why are we learning a _soft_ martial arts style?" the dark-haired boy asked.

Yue's fierce stare fixed on him for a long moment before he sighed and said, "I suspected there would be some confusion. Indeed, Tai Chi Chuan is a soft martial arts style, but what is most important about Tai Chi Chuan is the sheer _detail_ of the theory that is put into every movement. It may look like simple, slow movement to you, but learning this technique will be very advantageous. If you still do not understand, you may treat this as extensive learning of another form if you wish. Now, everyone stand and spread out."

Sakura got to her feet and moved so that there was about a meter's radius on her every side.

"Stand with your feet a shoulder's width apart. Good. Now raise your hands starting from your waist, straight out slowly until they are shoulder height. Good. Watch me."

The class collectively took a deep breath together with Yue, and brought their two hands closer to their body and them slowly. When their hands reached waist-height, their knees bent just a little.

"This is the first step. Now shift your weight over to your left leg and turn so your right foot points to your right. Move your arms with the right on top as if you're holding a ball and turn your waist so that your upper body completely faces your right."

Sakura looked around at the boys around her, some of who looked bored. It was not that she minded, really, learning Tai Chi Chuan. She excelled at form, after all. But Sakura couldn't really see the point of learning something so… slow.

"Step out with your left foot at a forty-five degree angle and shift your balance 70-30 in favor of your left. Bring the back edge of your left wrist up, slowly and powerfully, as if pushing against something firm. Your right hand should circle around to your right him and remain there."

The moves continued on for another good forty minutes, some were pushes, some seemed like punches, and others she had no clue what they were supposed to be at all. It was only in the middle of a strangely angled "push" that she realized that maybe there _was_ something more to Tai Chi Chuan.

A bright smile broke out across her face. This might be exactly what she'd been waiting for! After the gong rang, Sakura dawdled a bit, gesturing for Eriol and Syaoran to go on ahead. She stood there for a half minute, waiting for Yue to acknowledge her. At last, he said, "Is there something you needed, Kino?"

"Um… Yue-sensei…" Sakura hesitated. As expected of the head instructor, he was even more intimidating when facing alone than when simply obeying orders with an entire class of students. She swallowed hard. "I was, um, wondering if you would, perhaps, explain to me in greater detail the Tai Chi Chuan style."

To her surprise, after looking her over carefully, the corners of Yue's lips tilted upwards just _slightly_. "I'm impressed that you noticed that there is more to Tai Chi than meets the eye. However, we will be covering each aspect of this martial arts in class. There is no real need for you to worry. Though…" he said as he saw Sakura's face fall. "If you want some personal coaching, I would not be adverse to it."

"Really?" Sakura asked, shocked beyond belief. She had, at most, hoped that he would give her some scrolls to work with on her own, but she hadn't even _dreamed_ of private lessons with him!

Yue nodded. "This style is most fitting for you to learn, out of all the other students, I believe. It takes to the next level the "water strength" theory. I'm sure you've noticed, which is the reason why you're here now. Correct?"

"Hai," she answered.

"Your weapon's master has released you from your staff-fighting supplementary classes. Your lessons with me will be fitted into that time slot, and will take place in this dojo. You may go now, Kino. I will not excuse you from being late to your next class," he finished, turning his back to her and walking away from her. "You should hurry."

Sakura could hardly believe her luck. Grinning broadly, she bowed lowly to his retreating figure and said, "Doumo arigatou gozaimasu!"

When she left the dojo, heading for the day's math lesson, Sakura had an extra skip in her step. She had a feeling that learning Tai Chi Chuan would be the key to improving not only her fist fighting skills, but also her Sakura Dance. The water theory… the art of using an opponent's own strength against him – there were several references made to water in the scrolls about Clow.

Sakura was only half way to the building when the gong rang. "Shoot," she cursed, and decided to take a short cut, between an old dojo no longer used and several storehouses. The gap was small, not three feet wide, but Sakura ran through it easily, her shoulders not even scraping the edges of the wall. The instructor was definitely going to let her have it when she got there. Did math _have_ to be the class she was going to be late to?

The front door of the building was within sight, and Sakura sighed in relief, but upon the sound of footsteps, she immediately halted and crouched low to the floor, her back pressed against the wall. Being caught outside of class without permission was punishable with a week's worth of dish duty!

To her astonishment, Dairan walked by, and in his hands was a strange looking book. Her chest contracted and Sakura found herself scared to breathe, to make any noise; it was silly and her fear was totally unfounded, but she simply didn't want him to find her here alone, without anyone else around. Her eyes watched him carefully as he walked slowly past her. Dairan seemed to be looking for something on the ground. Had he dropped something?

Becoming more curious with every second, Sakura risked moving forward another foot or two and craned her neck forward to see better. Squinting, she could just make out the symbol on the front of the book her was holding. There was a scripted circle with a sun at the top and a moon at the bottom. With a jolt, Sakura realized that it was Clow's symbol. What was Dairan doing with a book related to Clow?

She was full of questions and bursting with curiosity, but it was a few more long minutes before he gave up looking for whatever it was he lost and left. Sakura waited until she was sure he had gone before she left her niche between the two walls and went out into the open. Her class was just twenty feet away… but she wanted to stay and search for whatever if was Dairan had been looking for.

"Kino. What do you think you are doing?" Eriol hissed.

Sakura looked up in surprise. "Eriol-san? What are you doing out here?"

"I should be the one asking that question! Syaoran and I were both becoming worried about you so I told the instructor that I had promised to run an errand for Kaho-sensei so I could come looking for you! Where have you been?"

"I was um," her emerald eyes gave the ground one last desperate glance, and she spotted a flash of metal reflecting in the light. "I was just caught up doing… stuff," she said before bending down and pretending to fix her sandals. When Eriol shut his eyes and shook his head at her in exasperation, her hand shot out under the broken step of the building and pulled the object out.

Standing quickly and sliding the cool piece of metal into her sleeve, Sakura shook her clothes out in the same movement. "For Mizuki-sensei? What are you going to do now, Eriol-san?"

Her friend glared at her, obviously not satisfied with her vague excuses, but seemed to decide that it wasn't worth the trouble. "We're both going to return, and you're going to tell the teacher that you were kept up doing Kaho-sensei's errand since I had forgotten, and that now that it's finished we can both return.

"Alright then, let's go," Sakura said cheerfully. They both entered class, and pacified a rather irate Mouri-sensei, but as soon as she sat down in her seat, Sakura secretly pulled the object out and looked at it.

It seemed like brass… no, that was simply rust. The key looked as if it was made of some odd, golden metal, and it was no larger than the size of her small palm. What was most intriguing, however, was the fact that the end of the key, where there was usually a loop for a string to slide through, there was a carving of Clow's symbol.

Sakura usually did her best to pay attention during math lessons since it was her worst subject, but today her thoughts refused to stay focused. She found her mind wandering to the key over and over… until finally she gave up listening to Mouri-sensei's lesson entirely. There would be hell to pay later, but maybe if Syaoran was in a good mood he would help her out.

Syaoran… he'd been the first one to show her the Clow symbol. It was odd, but she was beginning to see the intricate symbol in more and more places. His name appeared in more than one of the scrolls her mother had left for her, though all but one only mentioned him only in passing, and with much secrecy. They gave her mysterious glimpses of the famous Clow Reed's achievements… and she was dying to know more.

Her curiosity was more than simply piqued; Sakura had also discovered Clow's insignia in her scrolls about the Sakura Dance. Clow Reed was increasingly showing up everywhere, and she was beginning to suspect that learning more about Clow would be key to understanding the Sakura Dance. And if even _Dairan _was interested…

Sakura held the key firmly in her hand. She had no intention of returning the object to the manners master. It was wrong and terribly unlike her, but Sakura couldn't bear the thought of giving back something he was so obviously searching frantically for. She wanted to know why it was so important.

An elbow nudged her from the right, but she ignored it. Andou was always moving around and squirming during lessons he didn't enjoy. Now she had Clow's key… but a key to what?

"Kino!" her friend hissed, under his breath.

"Huh?" Sakura looked up, and she felt herself freeze as she realized everyone was staring at her. "Um…"

"I may have excused your tardiness for Mizuki-sensei's sake, but I will certainly not tolerate daydreaming during my lessons! As if you can afford to not pay attention when your math grade is one of the lowest in the class! Kino!" Mouri-sensei growled, causing her to jump to her feet.

"Hai!" she yelped nervously.

"Detention with me tonight after dinner."

"Hai…" Sakura groaned inwardly.

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Amber eyes narrowed as a weary Sakura trudged back to the dojo. "What did he make you do?" Syaoran asked, noting how tired she looked.

"Syaoran? You waited for me?" she gave him an exhausted smile. "Ah… Mouri-sensei can sure be ruthless. I had to lift two full pails of water in each hand for nearly two hours! My arms feel like they could just fall off and shrivel…"

"It's your fault. You should have been paying attention. What's wrong with you today? First Eriol had to bail you out of a tardy, and _then_ you started day dreaming during class?" Syaoran chided, but contrary to his words, he waited patiently as she started up the steps slowly, and even reached out and caught her when she stumbled a bit. "You're a mess," he said softly.

"Thanks," Sakura grinned up at him as she steadied herself.

"Are you still sick?" Syaoran asked as they headed into the dojo.

"Oh no, not really. I just… hey Syaoran," she asked suddenly. "Can you tell me more about Clow?"

Startled, he stopped mid-step. "Clow?" Syaoran said thoughtfully, studying her expression carefully. "Why so curious?"

"My Mothe… Father left – er, _sent_ me some scrolls recently. And they mentioned Clow a few times, and I was just wondering…"

He could sense the panic in her voice. "I thought you and your father are not on good terms?" he remarked dryly, but before she could panic even more, he said. "I'm searching for a sword."

"A sword?" Sakura asked, her eyes automatically moving to the right side of his waist. "But don't you have an amazing sword already? It was forged in China especially for you, wasn't it?"

"Come on in," he said, inviting her into his room. They sat on either side of his low, mahogany table, and Sakura was delighted to see that he had had the kotatsu moved in already.

"Mmm! I love kotatsu… it's so warm!" she squealed happily.

He smiled slightly, watching her childish antics. It was because of things like these that Syaoran doubted he could ever refuse her anything. She was simply too… cute.

"The sword I'm searching for is even greater than the one I have now…" he began slowly. "I don't exactly keep it a secret that I dislike my brother, Dairan, I don't know if you've noticed or not."

Sakura gave a noncommittal shrug, which he took to meant that she had.

"This sword was supposedly forged by Clow, a fact which in of itself interests me, but even more so, I wish to find this sword because Dairan is searching the Academy for it. I don't know why… or how he even learned about the sword's existence to begin with, since Okaa-sama said herself she didn't tell him anything about Clow… she refused to tell me much about it too, but..."

Sakura stared at him quietly as he spoke. Syaoran rarely mentioned his relationship with his family, even though his mother and brother lived in the Academy with him. She was under the impression that he held his mother in very high regard and Dairan with distaste, but he never mentioned his father. She was curious… but somehow Sakura could not bring herself to ask him about what seemed to be such a sensitive topic.

"I don't know too much about the details either. I only really became interested when Eriol and I found the symbol on the rock in the forest. The two of us began trying to find more about Clow, and we still are, but the war poses as a serious distraction. I plan on accepting a post of command in the army after I graduate after all," he said, suddenly, not looking her in the eye anymore.

"This… is the first I've heard of it," Sakura mumbled.

What were you expecting? For him to soar to the South's defense? He's on the enemy side for heaven's sake!

But Sakura could not keep her heart from sinking just a little bit.

"Kino? Are you all right?" Syaoran asked at her sudden silence.

"Yeah! C-Continue," she said, pasting a fake smile on her face. She could think about North-South relations later… right now she had to focus on the present.

"I'm interested in the sword, to be sure," Syaoran said. "But simply to understand more about it… and about Clow and the Academy's secrets. There are centuries worth of history within these walls, and I want to know more. But in regards the sword, I don't want my brothers to get to it, at least. I don't trust them."

_Them_?

"Syaoran, you have more than one brother?" Sakura asked, surprised.

"I don't like to talk about my other brother, either brother, if I could help," Syaoran said, his voice hard. "He left with my father years ago when I was still a child. Dairan followed after the two of them as soon as he turned of age and only returned recently. I don't trust either of them. That's why I want to get the sword before they do. I'm positive the only reason Dairan came back was to find that sword… I found some files in his room one day when I went to go look for him. I want to know what he and Gaoran are up to."

Gaoran, she assumed, was his eldest brother's name. The air had become heavy, but Sakura felt incredibly privileged to be there, at that moment, listening to Syaoran's thoughts. He trusted her.

"And… your father?" Sakura asked tentatively.

"He's dead. Gaoran sent his grave tablet back a few years ago."

Ahh… wrong question to ask. "And what about Eriol? You're going to become a general… what of our smiling friend?" she asked, willing to suffer news of another friend's entrance into the northern army to divert his thoughts from his father.

At this, Syaoran frowned. "I'm not sure actually. I'm under the impression that he means to enter a more… an information-related faction. I think he's after the role of spymaster, but he won't tell me. Now that you mention it, he hasn't mentioned Clow to me in ages. He's been up to something recently."

"Well I'm sure that because it's Eriol it'll be fine," she said cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood. Sakura boldly stretched her feet out underneath the kotatsu; something the other boys did, even though it was unheard of for women to do. She kicked him from underneath the table.

He glared at her. "What was that for?"

"You're too serious, Syaoran," Sakura said, her emerald eyes fixed on his amber orbs. "You should smile more often. You seem much nicer… more approachable."

"I don't need to be approachable," he said, looking away.

She pouted at his short response, but Syaoran looked back at her suddenly, startling a blush onto her cheeks. His gaze was soft. "But I suppose I don't mind. If it's just you."

Sakura didn't know how to react. The blush that had spread onto her cheeks was threatening to burn even brighter if she didn't do something… _fast_!

"Aww. I never pegged you for the sensitive type, Syaoran. How cute," she teased, trying her best to suppress the giddy emotion doing somersaults in her stomach.

Syaoran glared at her and threw a zabuton at her head. "Shut up."

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**Dun dun dun! Well, yet more information for you wonderful brains to chew upon whilst I take my sweet time updating yet again! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! **

**But **_**maybe**_** if you review I'll update faster? Haha. **

Gaoran – haha, another name to explain now? Okay, as you all have probably guessed, "ran" is "lang" directly translated by sound into Chinese, and means wolf. "Gao" is Chinese means "high". Therefore, Gaoran means "high wolf" or "supreme wolf".

zabuton – seat cushion

kotatsu – sort of a large, warm blanket-table… contraption. Haha. It's difficult to describe.

Ojii-sama – honored grandfather

hai – yes

doumo arigatou gozaimasu – _extremely_ formal way to say "thank you"

maa – well…

yukata – sort of a thin kimono, mostly used for sleeping.


	14. Dance the Night Away

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**I'm glad that you all enjoyed the last chapter… I know it was a bit sentimental and cliché, but I wanted to show you all how their "relationship" is progressing. xD**

**Now, without further ado, onto the story. **

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Fourteen**

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Sakura carefully replayed their entire span of acquaintance over in her head. It was still no good; she was still at a loss. What on earth could she have possible have done to bring _this_ upon herself?

Laughing hesitantly, the only female student in the Academy nodded to a comment the girl next to her made.

Sakura had never gone out of her way to speak to her, seeing as their longest conversation had consisted of two or three words. She'd never even spent more than ten minutes in the girl's presence before! So _why_ exactly was Syaoran's fiancée having a _heart-to-heart_ chat with her again?

"Ano… Mei Ling-san-"

"Please, Kino-kun, just Mei Ling is fine. The 'san' is _so_ formal and… stiff-sounding, don't you think?"

Sakura merely nodded. What a strange girl. "Um… Mei Ling, then. Is there something you needed?"

There had to be some reason for Syaoran's fiancée to suddenly pay her such untoward attention. For all that Sakura was now an acquaintance, it was still rather unconventional for a lady of Mei Ling's standing… for a young woman already spoken for, to seek out a private audience with a male who was not her betrothed. The parties the Academy hosted were lively, out in the open, chaperoned, and hosted with the intent to better the relationship between the students of the two schools. However, wasn't Mei Ling concerned that Syaoran, or anyone else for that matter, would misunderstand?

To her surprise, the Chinese female suddenly looked rather embarrassed. "Actually…" Mei Ling flushed. "I wanted to ask you some things about Syaoran."

Said boy's partner did her best not to scowl or groan – not that there was any reason for her to be upset of course. "Syaoran?" Sakura said politely, with forced patience. "Did something happen?"

Mei Ling looked up, startled. "You… call him by his first name? I hadn't realized that the two of you were so close. Weren't you still calling him 'Li' the other day?"

"Ah… well, he's given me permission to call him Syaoran," Sakura answered with a slight smile, unable to keep the small bit of smug satisfaction from rising in her chest. "We live under the same roof and are partners, after all."

Her pleasure was smudged with some guilt, however, at Mei Ling's bright smile. "Then I am glad that it is you I chose to speak with after all," she said, surprising Sakura yet again. "Syaoran is rarely intimate with anyone. You two must be very close if he has given you such a privilege. Other than his family members, I believe that only you and Eriol call him 'Syaoran'."

Such a conflict of emotions rose in Sakura that she had to look away from her companion for a few seconds. It was obvious to her now that this girl cared for Syaoran deeply and though a bit talkative, was not of a mean disposition. She was doing Mei Ling a great wrong by living together with her fiancé. And yet…

"What was it you wanted to talk about, Mei Ling?" Sakura asked softly, now a bit more willing to oblige.

"I am certain that someone so high in my Syaoran's esteem and confidence must have noticed the incredible change he has undergone. Can you please explain the reason for this change to me?" Mei Ling blurted out quickly. "I don't understand how this could have happened! His letters to me remained constant and unvarying, yet now that I see him face-to-face, I can see so clearly that his person is not what it once was!"

"Different? Changed?" Sakura repeated, taken aback. "What do you mean?" Emerald eyes watched with astonishment as her companion fidgeted with the handkerchief in her lap.

"Oh – just different! I was here to visit him only last summer, Kino-kun, and the Syaoran I spoke to then was the same Syaoran as the one I have known almost my entire life. He seems so full of expression now!"

Sakura felt nothing but confusion. Expression? Syaoran? Her lack of comprehension must have been clear, because Mei Ling bit her lip and tried harder to explain. "I mean only that he seems much more compatible and… comfortable with everyone around him than before. He speaks more often, to people other than Eriol, and has even ventured to speak with outside of obligation to those he formerly considered beneath his notice. None of this," the pretty female explained hurriedly. "is displeasing to me. Only, how could such a transformation have occurred in so short a time span? Something of great enormity must have taken place, which caused this change in my Syaoran. I must know what happened."

Sakura understood immediately what Mei Ling meant when she stated that such a change, which would be small in anyone else, was huge in Syaoran, who moved so decidedly at his own pace and according to his own decisions and opinions. Sakura understood what she meant, but Mei Ling had to be mistaken. No such transformation had occurred… to _her_ Syaoran had certainly become friendlier, but from what she had seen since she had entered the Academy, he had always interacted tolerably civilly to the others, especially their friends.

The auburn-haired female frowned. Now that she thought about it, someone… maybe it was Andou had mentioned to her once that Syaoran seemed different, but Sakura hadn't really noticed. Since _she_ had arrived at the Academy at least, Syaoran had gone out to spend time with the others every time _she_ had. He'd spoken occasionally too, even if only to make fun of her. Sakura blushed. If there was any change in his demeanor, she could only say that it was his attitude towards herself. They were certainly on much better terms than when she had first arrived at the Academy.

"Perhaps it is simply because your visit is longer this time that you have noticed this… change. No event of such great magnitude has occurred. Syaoran has always been a good friend to those in our class, though he does not speak much. Of course, it has not been three months since I have joined the Academy and so I may very well have missed this transformation you describe."

"Well… even if you can't tell, _I_ can tell," Mei Ling said quietly, staring at the folded hands in her lap. "And I'm glad that he seems to be more… open, I really am! Only… I feel as if he is changing into a Syaoran that I don't know while I'm not looking. Oh, Kino-kun, I'm afraid I'm losing him! Can you believe, that just the other day he actually _held_ a girl in his arms? I mean, certainly saving her might have been necessary, but the old Syaoran would have let go of her immediately afterwards. He hated being around women he didn't know."

Sakura sympathized with her companion – and yet what could she say to her? "But he doesn't hate being around you, right Mei Ling?" she said kindly. "And about Yuktio-san's little sister, I don't think you ought to worry too much. You're just reading too deeply into this, I'm sure Syaoran's opinion of you hasn't changed." She also felt a bit guilty about being the source of her worries. Mei Ling couldn't know that the girl she felt threatened by was really the same person she was seeking reassurance from.

But what _was_ Syaoran's opinion of Mei Ling? Sakura wished she knew. As a relieved smile spread across Mei Ling's face, a somber expression masked Sakura's. The Syaoran she knew was faithful to his duty, always. Since Mei Ling was his fiancée, then surely he thought of her as thus. Sakura's face fell. For some reason, the thought of Mei Ling getting along well with Syaoran unsettled her.

Her eyes widened. What was she thinking? Sakura's throat constricted. No, no, no, no, no, NO! She was treading into dangerous territory. Territory that neither her head nor heart had any place entering. She was only here for one thing – to avenge her parents. Any attachment she felt towards Syaoran was at most purely that of friendship, and even that was already too much. She was already _lying_ to him…

"Kino-kun…"

It was just, she couldn't bring herself to leave him alone.

"Kino-kun!"

"Huh?" Sakura looked up in surprise. She'd actually forgotten that Mei Ling was still there. "I apologize, Mei Ling. What was it you said?"

"Mou… guys have such short attention spans!" Mei Ling huffed. Sakura rolled her eyes. If only she knew.

"Anyways, thank you for listening to me. I'll come look for you again when I have more on my mind."

The emerald-eyed female nodded hesitantly. "Well yes, of course I don't mind," she said slowly. "But Mei Ling, may I ask _why_ it is you decided to come speak to _me_? I mean, if you want to look for someone who knows Syaoran well, why don't you go talk to Eriol-san?"

"Isn't it obvious?" the Chinese beauty said, standing up. "Syaoran talks of no one but you."

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Sakura walked back towards the dojo alone, her eyes glued to the ground in front of her. "This is so ridiculous," she muttered to herself, still thinking about the conversation she had with Mei Ling. It wasn't as if she had gone and begged Mei Ling to spill her heart and soul out to her… so why did she have to feel so guilty? _She_ was the one who was Syaoran's fiancée after all, not Sakura.

"You're just acting silly," she chided herself as she walked past the low fence marking the perimeter of their dojo.

"You're always acting silly. Why is it any different today?" A deep voice startled her from her trance.

Sakura found herself staring up into a pair of handsome, amber eyes. Her breath caught. "S-Syaoran," she stuttered. His eyes, she found, had a hypnotizing effect on people.

He looked her over carefully. "Where've you been? I've been waiting for a while now."

"Waiting?" Sakura repeated dumbly, unable to look away from his warm gaze. Why hadn't she noticed before that his voice was so deep? She could almost feel its soft rumble course through her bloodstream.

Thump.

"Yes, oh slow one. Waiting," he said. "What's wrong with you? You're acting a bit strange."

Thump.

Thump.

… was that her heart? What was wrong with her?

"Am I?" Sakura asked slowly. This man before her belonged to another woman – not that it bothered her, of course. Syaoran was, to her, simply a friend, a sparring partner, not someone she was romantically attached to. What did it matter that Mei Ling called him "her Syaoran"?

Mustering her willpower, Sakura forced herself to look away from him. "Why were you waiting? I wasn't gone that long."

He didn't say anything for a moment, and so Sakura hesitantly peeked up at him again. To her surprise, he was staring very intensely back down at her. There was something different in the way he was looking at her, something strange in his gaze. She swallowed.

Thump.

"You…" Syaoran began before trailing off.

Sakura found herself unable to meet the incredible focus of his stare any longer, and so lower her gaze to the portion of his chest revealed by the V of his gi, which was at her eye-level. To her great discomfort, she realized that he was very well built. Strong, yet lean. Hard, yet flexible. Good Lord, she was going crazy.

"I?" she squeaked out, in a last attempt to regain her sanity.

Thump.

It wasn't working. Syaoran was strangely quiet, and Sakura didn't dare look at his face, terrified that he'd see the expression on hers. What was _wrong_ with her? She had to be losing her mind. She was _not_ doing this. Syaoran was just a good friend. An extremely attractive, wonderful, mesmerizing man who also happened to smell like – NO! Sakura needed to slap herself… or bang her head on something, preferably something very hard.

And yet no matter how hard she tried to focus on them, all thoughts of revenge and of lies flew from her head. Sakura felt as if her mind was detached from her body. Her brain could only scream in horror as it watched her hand lift and hesitantly trace the vertical line dividing his chest in two…

Syaoran breathed sharply.

Sakura's head snapped up, and her emerald eyes stared at him in terror. She broke away from him immediately, having finally regained control of her limbs.

Unfortunately for her, Syaoran didn't let her get very far. He watched her run for a good half second, still stunned by the sudden turn of events, but as soon as he realized she was _leaving_, he caught up with her swiftly and grabbed her right wrist, pulling her back towards him.

Syaoran stared at the terrified girl in his arms, unsure of what to do, still barely able to think straight! What on earth had suddenly possessed her- _him_? There seemed to be something… a overwhelming emotion rising within his chest.

His hand twitched. He wanted to pull her towards him and bury his face into her hair and breath in the flowery scent that was _her_.

Sakura tensed as Syaoran drew her closer to him, bewildered and just a bit scared. What was happening? She… she'd run into him after her talk with Mei Ling… had started thinking about strange things… and then he had looked at her with that _look _in his eyes and…

Her mind dulled and her focus was drawn into him, against her will. She was so close… she could almost hear the beating of his heart next to her ear. It matched the rhythm of her own chest.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Her eyes began to shut slowly, his smell and heartbeat lulling her into a half-sleep.

"Syaoran…" she whispered.

And all of a sudden, as if her whispered call had been the trigger, Syaoran's shot open and he pushed her away violently.

Sakura staggered back, surprised and hurt. Her face flamed. What in the world had she been doing… thinking?! "I… ah," she stammered. "I don't feel well. I think I might have caught another cold… I-I'm going to go back to my room." What he must think of her! Her head was spinning. She had to get away, far away. "Don't um… disturb me."

Emerald eyes rose hesitantly to meet his, but he refused meet her gaze. "Yes. You do that," he said, a hard edge to his voice.

Sakura opened her mouth… and then shut it. Turning away from him, she hurried into the dojo, her mind in a tumult and her heart aching.

"I must be losing my mind," she said to herself, dropping into her futon and curling up into a ball. "Even if I _wasn't_ here trying to get revenge, I have no business falling for someone from the North!" Sakura stopped; her eyes suddenly wide open in horror. "Oh my God… I'm falling for him?"

That wasn't possible. Sakura felt her hands tremble. Attachments of this degree were not allowed – not allowed! She couldn't, she couldn't, she couldn't…

"And he still thinks I'm a boy," she murmured to no one in particular. With a groan, Sakura buried her face into her knees.

Outside, Syaoran was quickly stalking away from the dojo, trying to put as much distance between him and the baffling source of lunacy that was slowly but surely seeping through all the walls he had placed between himself and everyone else. He always had a firm reign on his emotions, always stayed firm and in control, always… until _she _came along.

"Kami! – what am I going to do with her?" he growled under his breath as he moved swiftly towards the Sakura forest. Having walked the path hundreds of times in the past, Syaoran navigated the wooden maze easily, his legs leading him forward automatically, as his mind was otherwise occupied.

As he finally settled down on the stone rock in the center on the lake, Syaoran released a deep sigh. He supposed he could no longer deny it. He was extremely attracted to this mysterious… "Sakura" who had appeared out of no where, taken up room space in his dojo, and miraculously wormed her way into his heart.

Her face was cute, her pout adorable, and her eyes breathtaking; he would give her all of that. However, such thing did not excuse his own lack of control! What was wrong with him? Since when had his iron-grip restraint withered away into something so feeble that a simple pair of emerald eyes could make him forget everything else existed? He certainly wasn't used to this abominable kind of weakness, nor did he _want_ to become accustomed to this lack of control.

Plus, his friendship with her was something too precious to waste on petty feelings like romance. Attractions would pass… and he had an obligation to Mei Ling, for the moment, at least. In any case, there were plenty of prettier girls out there like Mei Ling… like Yukito's younger sister.

Syaoran released another long sigh. So it was decided then. All he had left to do was to prove to himself that his attraction to his dojomate was nothing more than a passing curiosity.

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Sakura felt a little lonely as she stood by herself in the great hall wrapped in a kimono Tomoyo had dropped off for "future uses" in her room. The Daidouji heiress would probably die of bliss if she saw that Sakura had actually come to a party as a girl on her own initiative. All around her, groups and couples were passing by, laughing and having a good time. She did not know what on earth had possessed her to do it… but today she seemed completely forgone on sanity. It would do for her to regret this tomorrow… tonight she simply wanted to feel like a girl again.

She had repeated to herself furiously again and again on the way to the party that she was _not_ doing this because she had felt hurt by Syaoran's obvious rejection. She was a _boy_ to him for kami's sake! There was no reason to feel jealous of every other girl in the room simply because _she_ would be able approach Syaoran honestly and try to win him over. Sakura would simply have to get over her crush, because tonight she was ready and willing to be whisked off her feet by some masked gentleman who would keep her company for the night.

Sakura lifted her hand to touch the hem of the white mask that was covering her eyes. It was a strange sort of mask… most Japanese masks were much more elaborately decorated, made of porcelain, and covered the entire face, and yet the ones that had been handed out at the entrance to the hall covered only the upper half of her face and were made of cloth. A masquerade party. Apparently it had been suggested by Sakura's aunt, since the added confidentiality might encourage the more timid students to mingle more freely. Well, whatever the reason, Sakura didn't mind the mask at the moment. It made her feel safer and freer to indulge herself, and as a bonus, there was even supposed to be some dancing tonight, in the bon-odori style.

"Excuse me."

Sakura started at a touch on her shoulder. She turned around to greet the masked gentleman who had greeted her. To her surprise, there was more than one.

"Pardon me, miss, but would you happen to be alone tonight?" One asked.

Another boy cut in. "Would you perhaps like to accompany me for a stroll around-"

"I was asking her first!"

"Hey, Dairan-sensei said that until the lady agrees, everything is fair game!"

Sakura scrunched her eyebrows. These voices sounded very familiar…

"What are you two doing? You're embarrassing the rest of us!" a third complained.

"Hey, have any of you seen Misaki anywhere? I can't seem to find her… what's with these stupid mask things anyways? And – oh!" A raven-haired student stopped mid-sentence to stare at her. "Oh, oh, oh… hello there. My name is Andou Tsubasa, and who might you be?"

Sakura had to stifle a laugh. These were _her friends_! She was really lucky that they couldn't recognize her. She giggled softly. It was a relief to finally be able to speak to them in her own voice… her real voice, not the one pitched an octave lower in order to mask her femininity. "I thought that we were supposed to keep our names a secret at these masquerade parties? My brother said that they're the latest fashion in Kyoto…" she leaned in closer and whispered. "They're even rumored to be a style of party brought in from overseas."

The boys in front of her were instantly charmed.

"You have such a sweet voice, lovely lady."

"What about _Misaki_, Andou?"

"Hush! We're not supposed to use our names at these mask parties!" her unfaithful friend hissed before turning back towards her, a grin on his face. "Won't you allow me to be your escort tonight?"

Sakura couldn't help but tease him. "I would hate to incur the wrath of this 'Misaki' you all keep speaking of," she murmured, giving him her hand.

The other two guys, whom Sakura was sure were Kudou and Sadaharu, frowned. She wondered where Yamazaki was.

"Hm?" Andou was staring at her, captivated and barely keeping up with the conversation. "Oh, you don't need to worry about… who were we talking about again?"

Sakura rolled her eyes.

Seated at a low table and calmly drinking tea about twenty feet away was a student dressed in a black male kimono with the Li Clan insignia boldly printed across the front left breast in gold. He wore a sleek black mask, and a pair of amber eyes peered out at the small group of friends doing their best to woo a girl he didn't recognize.

His mother had requested Mei Ling's company for the evening, so he was left to wander around as he pleased. Syaoran strongly suspected that the absent Eriol was up to something. Usually his sapphire-eyed friend would never miss the chance to try and coerce him into finding a lady friend for the evening. He and the Daidouji heiress were almost always together now, and despite popular opinion that the two of them were secretly a couple, Syaoran was almost sure that his friend's motives included enlisting Daidouji's assistance in some sort of scheme.

The show his fellow classmates were putting on for him was rather amusing, and Syaoran particularly found the girl in the center interesting. She was quick, he could tell, to be constantly keeping up with Andou's jokes and Kudou's snide comments, and really rather good looking. She had sleek, long black hair and dewdrop lips. He couldn't see clearly through her mask, but it looked as if she also had green eyes… The kimono she wore was magnificent, and yet event through the layers of cloth he could see how lithe her figure was. She wore a pale pink, silk kimono tied not by a thick obi, but by a dark red sash with a large bow in back.

His eyes darkened. She reminded him of Sakura. His auburn-haired partner was undeniably quick-witted and bright, much like the girl in front of him. Her presence was captivating and despite her petite size, was not easily pushed around. Her sway over _him, _however, was a bit too strong for his liking.

Syaoran smiled as a thought crossed his mind. And why not? It would prove once and for all that any affection he felt for Sakura was temporary, physical attraction, and there was no Mei Ling around him to scream bloody murder. To have him acquaint himself with females was the purpose of these events anyways.

Syaoran took a long sip of tea and set the empty cup back onto the table before standing up abruptly, startling Yamazaki and his girlfriend, who had been sitting with him.

"Li? Where are you going?" Yamazaki asked, looking up in surprise.

"Don't let me bother you and Mihara-san," Syaoran said, smirking. "I'm just off to… see what all that commotion is about."

Chiharu grabbed onto Yamazaki's arm as they both watched the young Li heir walk towards Sakura. "Li-san seems to have changed a lot. Doesn't he usually just sit by himself in a corner during parties and sulk?"

Yamazaki shrugged, grinning. "He's been different ever since the new student, Kino, came. I'll introduce you to him sometime. He's a pretty interesting kid."

"Aww, won't you just tell me your name?" Andou pouted unhappily.

Sakura laughed again, and was about to answer him when a familiar voice made her freeze.

"May I cut in?"

She didn't even have to look at the other boys' shocked expressions to know who the speaker was. Syaoran.

"Li-san," she said slowly, turning towards him.

Syaoran looked at her, surprised. "I'm terribly sorry, do I know you?" he asked, scrutinizing her carefully, trying to remember if he had met the mysterious girl before.

Sakura managed a reluctant smile. "You are rather well known in the Academy, are you not? First rank, Li Syaoran, the pride of the Li Clan. Every person in this building must know your name."

"Ah… I see." She reminded him a bit of Yukito's younger sister. "And might I ask your name?"

"I'm afraid I will have to leave you at a bit of a disadvantage. One ought keep his or her identity secret during a masquerade. It's unfortunate that your renown precedes you," Sakura said this time, with a real smile. It was fun bantering with Syaoran when he had a handicap. He had no clue who she was, and it was exciting.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow at her rebuff, but gestured towards the table he had vacated. "Won't you join me for some tea… or sake?"

Sakura hesitated. Certainly, she was feeling adventurous, but was spending the night with the source of her problems really a good idea? "Well… I had been planning on spending the evening with Andou-san here."

"Oh really?" Syaoran gazed over her shoulder and looked hard at Andou. "And does Andou know that his _childhood friend_, Harada Misaki-san, is looking everywhere for him? I believe she's the young lady in the bright red kimono and yellow mask?"

At these words, Tsubasa visibly paled beneath his mask and quickly bowed to Sakura before running off. "Sorry! I forgot there's… something I need to be doing right now!"

Sakura watched him leave with a mix of horror and excitement. She turned and slowly looked up towards Syaoran who had a smug expression on his face. "Shall we go then, my lady?"

It was odd, she thought. That he could pick up women so easily. He had left her with no polite excuse to escape, not that she was still very keen on leaving. Sakura was sure that, at that moment, no girl could have possibly denied him. She watched in amusement as the other boys muttered amongst themselves… something about the girls always falling for Syaoran when he barely _did_ anything.

"You've left me with no retreat, so I suppose I'll just have to accompany you for the night." She gave him a half smile and took his arm just as the music picked up. To her surprise, he led her not to the low table he had come from, but towards the center of the hall where some couples were beginning to dance around in a circle.

"Retreat, why would you need something like that?" he asked, his deep tenor charming to her ears.

Sakura tugged at his arm nervously as they both stepped lightly onto the dance grounds. This was _not_ what she had planned on… she wasn't even wearing a proper dancing kimono. "I thought we were going to have some tea?" she asked as he released her arm.

"Well since the music has started, why not enjoy the party as it was meant to be enjoyed?" he asked, almost grinning. "Are you uncomfortable in this setting?"

"Just a bit," Sakura said, still staring at him in wonder. This Syaoran was so free… almost reckless. What was wrong with him tonight? Did he always treat women so casually? With all the grace of a noble-born daughter, Sakura lifted her hand for him to take, and began to step with elegant sway to the music.

"Do you still insist on keeping your identity a secret?" Syaoran asked as they danced around each other in a circle next to the other couples. "I must admit, I'm rather curious."

"But why?" she responded easily, a familiar tug lifting the edges of her lips upwards. "Doesn't the mystery make our acquaintance so much more fascinating? We ought to spend the rest of the evening in this same sort of mystery. You can continue to guess who I am, and I can do my best to try to understand what kind of person you are."

"What kind of person I am?" he said, incredulous. "I'm not sure I follow."

"You have your own fair share of mystery lying about you, Li-san. I think I'll have fun separating the man from the rumors."

"Oh?" Syaoran asked, grinning. It felt odd. He usually didn't enjoy himself this much around women. Sakura always gave him a run for his money, but until she came along the only person his age he considered an intellectual equal was Eriol. Of course, the other boys weren't exactly stupid… Syaoran simply didn't find discussing topics with them outside of the classroom very interesting. But this girl… she was clever. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

Sakura felt a sudden thrill as their palms met together in the air, each hand flat against the other as the two dancers stepped lightly around them. She was having _fun_. "Let's see," she said in a soft voice. Why don't we play a game of _shitsumon to kotae_?" Sakura openly laughed at the expression on his face. It felt exhilarating to finally act like a girl again… especially to him, and without any reservations.

"A game of _questions and answers_?" he repeated, bemused. "I'm afraid I forgot how that one went."

"Li-san hasn't been to very many social gatherings if he does not even know _this_ simple game," Sakura teased artfully. "After all, this a favorite game of the ladies. Shall I explain it to you? It's a basic game where each person takes turns asking a question. If you refuse to answer a question… a punishment is given."

"Ah, well that would explain it then," he commented wryly as he skillfully twirled her around. "I don't usually interact with people much at parties. In fact, I believe you are the first lady I've had the honor of dancing with in at least five years."

Sakura stared up at him. "Not even Mei Ling-san?"

"Does that count as your first question then?" he smirked at her. The first song ended, but neither of them seemed ready to leave the dance floor. They would stay for another song.

"I suppose so. Are you going to answer?"

"First, what is the punishment for refusing to answer a question?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura frowned, her eyebrows creasing slightly as she thought of something appropriate. "Let's see… how does this sound? If _I_ refuse to answer three questions, I will remove my mask and give it to you… as a token. If _you_ refuse to answer three questions… what shall you do then, Li-san?" she smiled mischievously up at him. "Your goal is to know my identity… but what would be a fair punishment for you?"

"My, my such high stakes." In a bold move, Syaoran pulled her closer to him, making Sakura's heart jump. Bon-odori style dancing did not require much physical contact other than the hands and arms, but as she danced in front of him, her back to his chest, she could feel his breath on her bare neck. "What is it you want, my masked lady?"

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sakura realized this was her chance… though she would be prying for her long-awaited answer from someone she never expected to ask it of. Syaoran was well-connected… would he know? "I want to know about something," she said.

"Information then?"

"Yes… to satisfy my curious mind. Will you let me ask one question? It won't be one of the questions you refused to answer earlier, of course."

He fell silent, and Sakura could only imagine that he was weighing the chances that she would ask something he could not reveal. At length, he agreed in a smooth voice, "Ask any question you desire."

Sakura smiled, loving that she was so close to him. She wasn't really allowed to stare at and admire him as Kino Kura, but the masked lady could worship his handsome appearance all she liked. Her eyes locked onto his as he turned her back around.

"Not even Mei Ling-san?" she repeated her earlier question. It began. She had to do this as inconspicuously as possible. If she was lucky, he would not suspect that anything was out of place.

"Mei Ling and I have met only once a year since she turned twelve and entered the Daidouji Institute. I don't usually take her out dancing. It is not an activity I indulge in very often," he answered easily.

Somehow, Sakura found great satisfaction in this new bit of knowledge. He seemed to enjoy dancing with _her_.

"How many family members do you have?" he asked.

Sakura bit her lip. Well, if she had to, she might as well go with her earlier disguise, Tsukishiro Sakura. "I have one brother and my grandparents, but I've seen neither in a long time. Both of my parents have already passed away." Hopefully, Syaoran would avoid this subject in the future.

"And you, how many siblings do you have?" She already knew about his parents, after all.

"I have four sisters" – Sakura blanched – "and two brothers."

"_Four_ sisters?" Sakura repeated, shocked. "I wasn't aware of that at all."

Syaoran's eyes narrowed. But she _had_ heard of his two brothers? Odd, considering she attended the Daidouji Institute.

"How old are you?" he asked, his mouth curved upwards.

"Sixteen," she responded easily. "As there's no need to ask for _your_ age, is it true that you mastered kung fu at the age of seven?" Sakura had always wanted to know.

Syaoran chuckled inwardly. "No one ever truly _masters_ martial arts, as it is a lifelong-learned process. However, I completed all necessary training and became self-taught at the age of _twelve_."

"That's quite a feat, isn't it?" Sakura said, impressed. "No one you are one of the only first ranks in the Academy."

"Your compliments are having a terrible, enlarging affect on my ego. Pray continue," he taunted.

"If the rumors are true, your ego does not _need_ much more boosting. I think I shall leave the compliments at that for the night," Sakura couldn't help but giggle. "I believe it's your turn to ask a question."

Syaoran felt a familiar tug at the sound of her laughter. It reminded him of… someone… "Have I met you before?" he asked abruptly, not bothering to stop leading her around the floor as the song changed.

"Yes, we've met," Sakura admitted. But then, he'd met many girls before, hadn't he? "What is your favorite color?"

Syaoran laughed outright at this. "Please don't give me such easy questions. I begin to feel guilty, since I plan on unmasking you tonight. My favorite color is green. And now I will ask you a more difficult question. Who, out of all the students in the Academy you have seen, do you find the most to your liking?"

Sakura flushed. To answer or not to answer? "You certainly are making me uncomfortable, Li-san. I reserve the fact that I have not become acquainted with many Academy students at these parties to my benefit, but I suppose that I would have to say that I find you the most impressive out of them all."

Syaoran smirked and Sakura scowled. "And you, who do you find most captivating out of all the ladies from the Daidouji Institution?"

"Including Mei Ling?" he asked her quietly.

Sakura was glad her mask kept him from seeing her downcast expression. "Of course including Mei Ling-san. She has _more _right than any other girl here to be found captivating by you."

Syaoran stared quietly down at her. "For tonight at least, my attention is all yours; you've more than captured my interest."

Sakura found herself grateful for her mask yet again. It helped to hide her happy blush. He was merely indulging her though, of course, yet it was gratifying.

"I have often wondered this," he said, his amber eyes looking down at her. "What do you find most difficult about being a female? I constantly hear Mei Ling complaining that men do not understand the woes of women, but she always refuses to tell me why."

"I'm sure it varies from woman to woman…" Sakura responded with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "But I suppose it would have to be being looked down upon by men such as yourself."

"Am I underestimating you?" Syaoran asked, his eyebrows raised.

Sakura smiled coyly up at him. "I'm afraid it's my turn. Li-san." She waited for his amused nod. "Who knows you best?"

At this question, Syaoran fell silent. After a few moments of thinking he finally said, "Two people in this world know me best, and both understand me a bit more than I would like. My mother and Hiiragizawa Eriol." He turned towards her sharply. "Am I underestimating you?"

"By a wider margin than you could ever imagine," Sakura said softly, thinking of all the lies and half-truths she was feeding him. What would Syaoran think of her once the truth was revealed? She'd decided in her heart a while ago that she could deceive everyone else, but after she avenged her parents' deaths… she would tell Syaoran everything. And then leave, if he allowed to her to do so alive.

Syaoran looked her over carefully, as if sizing her up once again. "I wonder why the people who keep appearing by my side all seem to be so mysterious."

Sakura smiled. "Perhaps you are simply drawn to mysteries, Li-san. My next question: What do you think your best attribute is?"

"My self-control," he said, his jaw set firmly.

"Yes… you do seem the type don't you?" she said softly. "Always keeping a tight reign over your emotions." Her words were ambiguous enough for him to pause and wait for an explanation, but when none came, he repeated to her a question she asked earlier.

"And might I ask who in this world knows _you_ best?"

"Yes, you may ask," Sakura teased, trying to buy some time to think. She ignored his pointed glare and instead went over the people closest to her in her mind. Her father and mother were dead… she hadn't seen Touya in over half a decade… and even Tomoyo could not fully understand her. Not now that Sakura was plotting the murder of her parents' killer. "I'm just teasing, Li-san," she said with a smile. "The person who knows me best in this world is me."

As her answer left her lips, there was a strange feeling of loneliness that overcame her, and Syaoran looked about to comment, but she refused to leave him time to do so by immediately asking, "What is your greatest fear?"

Syaoran stared at her, hard. "That question is a bit unfair isn't it? Under the conditions of this game I could technically ask what your name is, but I refrain from doing so, so you ought to not ask questions that would be impossible for me to answer."

Sakura smiled unflinchingly. "The reason you must refrain from asking about my identity is because that would destroy the purpose of my punishment. My question does not infringe upon any such limitation. Plus, it is not as if I asked you what your deepest darkest secret is, merely what you are afraid of."

He scowled. "In that case I refuse to answer the question, and instead I ask you the same thing. What, my masked lady, is _your_ greatest fear?" Syaoran deftly spun Sakura around so that her face was inches from his. With his fingers he tipped her chin upwards, forcing her to look up at him. "Well?" he asked smoothly.

"My greatest fear is not accomplishing my mission," she whispered, and she forced her face from his hands and spun back away from him. His perplexity was obvious and Sakura cursed inwardly, already able to guess what his next question would be, but it was too late to take back her honest words.

"Hm… let's see, what shall I ask you now?" Sakura wondered aloud, batting her eyelashes at him demurely. "Oh, yes of course. How deeply involved are _you_ in the military politics of the North?"

His hand tightened against hers, but he still handled her gently, though Sakura could tell that her question made him wary of her. "Why do you ask?" he questioned.

"I'll answer you… even though it's really my turn. I'm merely curious, as are all the other girls in this room. We all wonder how actively involved the prestigious Academy is in the actual affairs of the country," Sakura fibbed. It was time to begin to back him into a corner.

"Most of the Academy students are not actively involved just yet, with a few exceptions of course," he answered. When she waited for him to answer her actual question, he sighed. "An exception of which I am one."

"And you," he continued. "What is this mission you fear you will not accomplish?"

Sakura trembled a bit beneath his intense gaze. "That is a secret."

"So we're one for one then?"

"Yes… and it's my turn." The music began to pick up its pace and Syaoran span her around faster and faster, and Sakura actually had to _try_ to keep up with him. "Onto a topic that upsets you less then," she said. "Where is your father now?" Inwardly, Sakura apologized to him. She did, after all, have every intention of making him lose the game.

Syaoran's expression revealed nothing. "Two for one then," he responded. "How did your parents…" he trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. He didn't need to say anything, Sakura understood him.

"They were murdered by this nameless killer we call war," Sakura hissed. It was an ironic coincidence that the lives of Yukito's parents had also been claimed by the brutal fighting between North and South.

Sakura was about to ask her next question when a gentle tap at her shoulder caused her to turn around. It was Mizuki-sensei. Barely in time, Sakura bit her tongue to keep herself from calling the archery instructor by her name. Tsukishiro Sakura didn't _know_ Mizuki Kaho!

"Mizuki-sensei," Syaoran acknowledged, bowing. Sakura bowed too as her partner introduced them. "This is the archery mistress here at the Academy, Mizuki Kaho. Mizuki-sensei, this is… my dance partner for tonight."

"My, how nice to meet you," Kaho said politely, bowing to the both of them. "Don't mind me, I won't take too much of your time. I'm simply here as a… spectator and judge. I'll let Dairan-sensei know that you've been doing a splendid job as host tonight, Li-kun." She turned to Sakura. "And might I ask what your name is?"

Sakura and Syaoran looked at each other. "She would rather not give it," he explained on her behalf. "Since this is a masquerade party."

Kaho smiled understandingly. "Yes, I understand that is the normal procedure at masquerades, but even if you will not tell Li-kun your name, I'm afraid I must insist that you tell me yours. As I said, I _am_ here as a judge."

Syaoran courteously turned away from the two women as Sakura leaned towards the archery instructor's ear and whispered, "My name is Tsukishiro Sakura."

"Thank you," Kaho said with a smile. "And thank you too, Li-kun, for your time. I hope you two both have a wonderful evening."

They all bowed to each other again, and the beautiful woman disappeared quickly into the crowd. Sakura watched her go silently, wondering why Mizuki-sensei _had_ to know her name. Well, in the end it wouldn't matter anyway. Tsukishiro Sakura wasn't even a student of the Daidouji Institute! A touch at her elbow brought her back fro her thoughts.

"Ready?" Syaoran asked, and Sakura smiled and gave him her hand. They immediately began to pick up where they had left off, the both of them dancing gracefully across the floor. "I believe you were about to ask me a question," he prompted.

"Oh… yes." What had she been planning to ask again? Suddenly, Sakura caught sight of Mei Ling and Syaoran's mother, Li Yelan walking amongst the students on the other side of the great hall. "What… feelings do you have towards Mei Ling-san?" she asked.

She didn't look at his facial expression. Sakura was scared of what she might find there.

"Mei Ling…" he said quietly. "I take back what I said before; you certainly do _not_ give me easy questions. All of your queries are masterfully chosen."

Sakura nodded in response.

"Mei Ling…" he repeated. "I think of Mei Ling as my younger sister. She is important to me, but I have no intention of marrying her in the future." Syaoran wondered why he was willing to tell this mysterious, masked girl this. Somehow though, he felt an inexplicable faith in her, as if he was sure he could trust her. Syaoran did not feel as if he had simply met this girl before… this feeling of familiarity was far too strong. She was someone he _knew_.

Sakura felt butterflies tickle her stomach. So he didn't think of Mei Ling as anything more than a sister? He _wasn't_ planning on getting married to her? Syaoran wasn't in love with Mei Ling!

"What do you hope to gain by asking me all these questions? I doubt this is simply about curiosity," Syaoran stated, eyeing her carefully. "I, for one, want to know who you are more than ever."

She couldn't help but smile. "That, too, is a secret."

"It seems we are even once again."

"Yes, it seems that way."

The two of them danced in silence for a few long moments. Sakura found she liked the way they moved together. Their dance seem perfectly in sync and their steps simply seemed to fit together. It was as if they were reading each other's minds, her feet moving in the same exact complex movements as his were.

Syaoran, on the other hand, marveled at how flawlessly their hands seemed to fit together. They were hands he had held before. Hands he recognized.

"Why are you Mei Ling-san's fiancée if you have no intention of marrying her?" Sakura asked in a small voice.

Syaoran looked down at her as he pulled her, once again, closer to him. "We were engaged the day she was born. However, this engagement only stands until the day I become of age. Then, whether our engagement continues is entirely up to me."

Sakura beamed inwardly.

"Are you engaged?" he asked her.

"I'm no more tied down than you are," Sakura answered cheerfully.

Syaoran gave her a wry grin. "And why are you in such a good mood?"

"It's not your turn, Li-san," she countered. "This is my question: What…" Sakura hesitated. "What do you think about that boy I've heard so much about from my friend? What do you think about Kino Kura-kun?"

Syaoran stared down at her, and then released her from his arms. Sakura's happy face appeared in his mind's eye, and all of a sudden he couldn't bring himself to banter with the girl standing in front of him any longer. He'd deliberately approached this masked girl to help himself forget about his partner who, at that moment, was God knows where. His endeavor had been so successful that it scared him.

Was whatever he felt for Sakura simply just a passing notion then?

"That is also a secret," he said. It didn't matter that this was his third strike. All he knew was that not only did he _refuse_ to explain his relationship with "Kino Kura", he _couldn't_ explain it. Since when had things suddenly become so complicated?

"Go on, ask your invincible question," he said.

Sakura felt disappointed. "Well… alright then. Li-san, do you know a man with a scar on his face, running from the outer edge of his left eye to his upper lip? His eyes are… they look much like yours."

Syaoran froze. Why would she be asking about _him_?

"I do," he answered, a distinct fury growling within his chest. "Now it's my turn to ask a question."

"No wait!" Sakura gasped, her heat suddenly pounding. Syaoran knew the scar-faced man? He actually _knew_ who he was? "You haven't told me his name!"

"His identity wasn't part the of the question. I answered your query. Yes, I know him. Now, tell me why you are asking about that man!" Syaoran demanded in a harsh voice. "Why do you know him?"

Sakura felt like screaming. What did he _mean_ he wasn't going to tell her?! That was… he was… she was so close! Kami! He **had** to tell her! How else was she supposed to avenge her parents? Why… and yet just one look at his incensed expression told her that she would more likely than not never find out.

"Tell me!" he repeated, this time with his voice raised.

Sakura swallowed the tears of frustration that threatened to spill out from her eyes. "I cannot answer that question," she bit out in a shaky voice, barely keeping her emotions welled up within her.

Syaoran glared at her angrily, but she refused to look up at him. "You won't tell me how you know him?" he asked her roughly. "No matter what?"

"I ask you that same question," she shot back. "You won't tell me his name?"

The music faded, and the couples around them began to disperse. Both of them, however, remained motionless in the middle of the room. They did not attract too much attention since there was still a great number of people around them, but they _did_ look a bit awkward standing, facing each other, both a bit red in the face.

Syaoran shook with suppressed fury. For that _man_ to come up… here of all places!

Suddenly, Sakura could take no more. "Here. As promised," she mumbled in a small voice, not trusting herself to speak any louder without breaking into tears of aggravation. "My punishment." She whipped the mask off of her face and nearly threw it at him.

He caught it effortlessly, and it was with great surprise that her realized that the girl he had spent the night with was actually Tsukishiro Sakura, Yukito's younger sister. However, it was with even greater surprise, and even a pang of regret and guilt that he watched as she turned abruptly and stalked away from him. His keen amber eyes did not miss the crystalline bead of water that slid down her cheek as she disappeared into the crowd.

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**Tsuzuku…**

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My goodness that was much longer than I intended it to be! This story is definitely turning into a fifty-chapter monstrosity. I hope you all don't mind too much. I'll tell you what, you're all very close to discovering the identity of that scar-faced man.

**Review and you might see him again soon! xD **

kami - God

ano – umm…

mou – geez…

bon-odori – a traditional dance that still takes place in some Japanese schools at the end of a cultural festival. It's mostly a bit like square dancing (not quite) around a large fire. There's no fire in this story, but it's the same style of dancing. Nothing too fancy.

shitsumon to kotae – questions and answers


	15. Revelation

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Haha. I'm glad you're all excited after last week's chapter. :D I just got back from a church retreat this weekend, so I didn't have as much time to work on this chapter, so I'm sorry if some grammatical mistakes appear. Point them out to me and I'll be happy to get them fixed! **

**I hope you are all enjoying this story! xD **

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Fifteen**

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Sakura chewed nervously on the inside of her cheek. _This_ was what she got for acting recklessly. Her emerald eyes started towards her partner before snapping straight back in front of her. Syaoran was _mad_… again.

Inwardly, she cringed at the very though of a cranky Li heir, but part of her felt indignant as well. It seemed strange to _her_ that _he_ was acting like the injured party. Wasn't _he_ the one who had completely disregarded his half of the bargain? So what right did he have to sulk for _days_ after the masquerade party?

It was odd too and very unlike him to have acted so dishonorably. Though he technically did answer the question she had voiced, they both had been very well aware of what she had actually been asking, and for someone so proud and so deliberate as he… Sakura was at a loss and upset.

The only problem was that she couldn't very well storm up to him and demand to know the reason for half-assed response to her question, important to her as it was. At the very least, Sakura now knew that Syaoran had a link to the scar-faced man, which she could and would use to her advantage. It was simply a matter of discovering _how _to retrieve the necessary information from her stubborn partner. He had seemed so furious that night, yet Sakura could not imagine why the one who had murdered _her _family was so sensitive a topic for him. It made her uneasy. Syaoran was obviously much more involved with the scar-faced man than she had ever imagined.

Even still, his reaction had been alarming, to say the least. His reaction was _still _alarming. There had been no need to refuse to answer her question, there had been no need for him to get so upset and there was most _certainly_ no reason to try and track Tsukishiro Sakura down!

Sakura wondered if Kami-sama hated her.

"Syaoran, why don't you just give this up?" Sakura finally said, exasperated. The more the only daughter of the Kinomoto family thought about it, the more disconcerted she became. _She_ was the one who had been wronged and yet – oh the irony of it all. _Why_ was she here trying to help him find the nonexistent younger sister of Tsukishiro Yukito?

Syaoran's amber eyes glared down at her. "Although Yukito-sensei has told me repeatedly that his little sister refuses to allow me an audience with her, but she might be willing to see you. I want you to go speak to her in my stead," he _informed_ her firmly. Emerald eyes glared irritably back at him. His tone did not even attempt to hide the lack of request in his statement.

"And _what_ would you like us to talk about, Syaoran?" Sakura responded scathingly, still sore about his behavior towards her. "Why you were suddenly in the mood to suddenly charm a random girl when you know very well that you have a fiancée? Or perhaps you'd like us to bond over how wonderful your evening together was, and, of course if she's in the mood for it, we might discuss the topic of your conversation with her, the one that you refuse to me about and yet somehow still expect me to pry from her despite the fact that I am at a complete loss as to _what_ I am to be asking about!" Suddenly Sakura realized that she was miserable. This change in the dynamic of their relationship, though she was grateful her momentary insanity the day she had leaned into his embrace was forgotten, things had not gotten much better.

Since when had things gotten so complicated? Her emotions – just what exactly did she think of him? Sakura instinctively smothered that particular train of though each and every time it came up, which was rather often, because she was too scared to find out the answer. Yet it was undeniable that his lack of trust in her as a friend as well as the ease with which he had picked up a complete stranger that night was bothering her deeply, not to mention her mounting frustration at having lost an opportunity to find out about the scar-faced man! She was, quite simply, confused.

Syaoran stopped walking, startled by the emotions flashing across her face. "Kino… why are you so angry?" he asked slowly as Sakura reluctantly stopped next to him.

"It's nothing," she muttered, refusing to meet his gaze. It wasn't as if she could explain to him anyways.

"Tell me," he said. It had been a command, not a request. Sakura suppressed the urge to snap at him again, deciding that it just wasn't worth the effort, and sighed.

"Look Syaoran. If you want to go talk to this girl then let's go. I don't think me being there will make much of a difference since I've never met Yukito-san's younger sister, but if you think it's worth a try then let's just _go_. "

His expression remained stoic, but Sakura thought she caught the stony expression in his eyes faltering for a moment. After a long silence he finally said, "Sorry about this Kino, I will tell you more about this… later. Could you please lend me your assistance today?"

Sakura mentally groaned. It was happening again! Her anger was ebbing away simply because he said "sorry" and "please". Those words meant a lot coming from Syaoran, but somehow Sakura felt that she was being swayed a bit _too_ easily. She refused to acknowledge the extra _thump-thump _of her heart as he casually caught her wrist in his hand, and the two of them headed towards Yukito's rooms.

When they finally reached his rooms, Sakura knocked, and the two of them waited impatiently outside until their instructor appeared from behind the door.

"Yes?" he asked, a wide smile on his face. "How may I help you, Kino-kun? Li-kun?"

Sakura made a face at him. "Yukito-san, we were wondering if _your little sister, Sakura-san,_ was here right now? Syaoran and I would like to, um, meet her."

Yukito's smile dimmed as he looked at Sakura closely. "Yes, Li-kun _has_ been here looking for her _rather often_. You wouldn't happen to know _why_ would you, Kino-kun?"

Sakura flushed. "I wouldn't know," she muttered, not liking the admonishing expression on her friend and teacher's face.

"Well come on in," Yukito said at length, startling both Sakura and Syaoran.

They both shouted "What? She's home?!" at the same time. Syaoran sounded eager, Sakura sounded bewildered.

"No," the kenjutsu instructor answered readily, sliding the door open for the two of them. "But another friend of yours is. Hiiragizawa-kun, Li-kun and Kino-kun are here."

Sakura brightened. "Eriol-kun!" she called happily, running over to the handsome, sapphire-eyed boy sitting leisurely at a low, Japanese table, drinking tea.

"Kura-san," Eriol greeted in response. He turned smugly to the other arrival. "Syaoran," he said slyly.

Syaoran scowled at him, but also sat down around the square table, across from Sakura and with Yukito and Eriol to his left and right. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Oh, Hiiragizawa-kun just came over to have some snacks with me. Would you like some?" the older male answered, cheerfully offering his two new guests the platter of crackers. Syaoran accepted his reluctantly while Sakura joyfully began munching away.

"So Syaoran," Eriol began, a mischievous grin on his face. "I hear you've been calling here for Sakura-san several times already? I've never seen you so taken with a girl before."

"Is that so?" Yukito said suddenly, staring very hard at Sakura, a frown on his face. Sakura grimaced and shook her head emphatically. Syaoran, on the other hand, merely growled, "Don't say things that cause other people to misunderstand."

Eriol snickered.

"Well as interesting as all of this is, I'm afraid that Sakura-chan isn't available right now, Li-kun," Yukito said rather sternly, surprising both Sakura and Syaoran. The kenjutsu instructor was rarely ever harsh. "And now that I think about it, Kino-kun, is it really alright for you to be here? I believe Yue-sensei mentioned something about Tai Chi Chuan lessons."

Sakura shot up from her seat. "What time is it?" she yelped, immediately heading towards the door.

"The evening gong should be ringing soon, Kura-san. You had best hurry," Eriol called. "Good luck!"

As Sakura shut the shoji door behind her, she heard Syaoran ask the other two "Kino is taking extra lessons from Yue?"

Jogging out from Yukito's home, Sakura tried to think back, wondering if she had forgotten o mention her lessons to Syaoran. Had she? Not that it mattered now, since the other two would probably explain it to him, and she had more important things on her mind… Sakura did not even want to imagine what Yue would say if she was late for a class she had requested on her own!

"Konbanwa!" Sakura panted, dashing into the tatami-floored training hall just as the gong rang. "Yue-sensei."

The silver-eyed teacher rose from his seated position on the floor. "You were very nearly late, Kino."

"Moshiwake gozaimasen! Yue-sensei," she apologized, bowing low.

"It is fine," he said. "Get in position."

For the next hour, they performed the Tai Chi Chuan form twice in silence, the stillness broken only when Yue would pause to teach her the concepts behind each movement. Sakura slowly felt her confidence building. This was definitely a technique she could use to her advantage.

"Kino."

"Hai!" Sakura stood up straight, her arms returning firmly to her sides.

Yue scrutinized the young, auburn-haired student carefully, evaluating his ability. Kino Kura was without a doubt talented, despite his lack of brute strength. To have already memorized the entire form so quickly…

"Come. I will begin to show you the basics of actual Tai Chi Chuan sparring, instead of simply the form. Stand with your legs spread apart like this… and bring your hands up to counter mine just like so."

He pressed Sakura's wrists back and then brought them around in a flowing motion. "This is how you use your opponent's own strength against him. First you give, then when he is off balance, bring his own power back in a circle and channel it through your body to push back… like this," with a deep breath, Yue pushed on Sakura's arms, and sent her flying across the room.

She fell into the wall with a dull crash, the impact knocking with wind out of her. Sakura gasped, steadying herself on the wall, and looked up in wonder.

"The stronger your opponent, the greater his power will be, which in turn means that _your own_ arsenal increases. Remember this."

Sakura did her best not to let her jaw drop open, something she was sure Yue-sensei would think uncouth. If he had been able to send her that far back with what little strength _she_ had, then the possibilities were endless. If this was what could come of proper training…

"Kino," Yue said.

"Hai!"

"Stand up. This time you will try."

It took several attempts before she was able to find the right place to push his arms and several more tries before she was finally able to force him back, but on her twelfth attempt, she successfully propelled him five feet across the floor to both of their surprises.

The fist-fighting master staggered a bit, but remained on his feet. "Good," he said. Inwardly, Sakura beamed. "That will be all for today. You are learning very quickly."

"Doumo arigatou gozaimasu!" Sakura bowed. When she raised her head from the floor, however, she noticed that Yue had dropped something on the floor. The tall instructor was already headed for the door, so she quickly ran over to pick the object up. It was a necklace, she realized, and then jumped when she noticed that the charm hanging from the silver cord was that of Clow's insignia.

Sakura's breath caught. "Yue-sensei," she said slowly. "You dropped this." Sakura continued to stare at the symbol in wonder. Why was it she was beginning to see it everywhere now?

Yue was by her side faster than she expected, and Sakura had to smother a squeak of surprise when he suddenly took the necklace from her hands. "Yes, this is mine," he said in a low voice.

Sakura wondered if she was brave enough to ask. "Yue-sensei," she began hesitantly. "That is Clow's insignia, isn't it?"

Her teacher stiffened, and his piercing silver eyes bore down upon her, as if gauging her question. "Yes it is. And what would you know of it, Kino?" Yue's voice was hard.

Sakura visibly drew back at his tone, but forced herself to continue. "Oh no, it's nothing. It's just that, Syaoran mentioned something about Clow once… and I was wondering if _you_ knew anything about him, Yue-sensei." There was a momentary silence. "I'm merely curious," she added.

Yue gazed at her appraisingly. He highly doubted that this bright young samurai was simply "curious", and yet, he wondered why Kino would be concerned about Clow to begin with.

Sakura did her best not to fidget under his intense stare. Simply being in Yue's _presence_ was intimidating enough without asking difficult questions… and yet her desire to know more about Clow had been steadily growing ever since she first began to read the scrolls about him.

"Clow Reed was the most brilliant samurai of his age," he said at last. "He worked not only in Japan but also in foreign countries, researching techniques and sharing with different peoples his discoveries. As you may know, Clow was the man responsible for the founding of this Academy, but he is more famously known for the creation of a secret sword technique and two swords, the Clow blade and the Sakura blade. These stories are, of course, merely rumors and legends."

And yet every story had some core of truth in it. Sakura was burning with curiosity. Did she dare continue? "Yue-sensei, what did those legends say happened to that technique and the swords? What kind of technique was it?"

"How did you come to recognize the Clow insignia?" Yue asked suddenly.

Sakura squirmed. "Syaoran showed me something with the Clow insignia on it." It wasn't exactly a lie, but she was sure that her instructor was displeased by the vagueness of her answer.

Yue considered his student for another long moment. "Legend has it that the technique was split in half upon Clow's death, until its true successor was to find both pieces. One half is said to have been sent to the South while the other half remained here in the North. The swords have supposedly been hidden somewhere in this Academy. Any details that depart from this basic theory are merely speculation and wild imagination. I would put this subject from your mind if I were you, Kino. It is best not to meddle in things as insubstantial as legends."

She hesitated once again. Would it be far too rude to ask one last question? "Sir…" Sakura bit her bottom lip. "May I ask why you have that necklace?"

Her instructor turned his back on her and began walking out of the dojo. Sakura cringed. She'd gone too far at last.

To her immense surprise, however, he paused at the doorway, hesitating before answering, "I am a descendant of Clow Reed's." Yue left and Sakura was alone in the room.

Sakura was still lost in deep thought as she walked slowly back towards the dojo she shared with Syaoran. Yue-sensei was a descendant of Clow Reed's? The legend about the two swords… and a secret technique. It was all so strange.

"What took you so long?" a deep voice woke her from her thoughts.

Sakura looked up, surprised. "Syaoran? What are you doing out here?"

Amber eyes stared down at her, their gaze hard. "You didn't mention anything about taking extra lessons with Yue," he said, frowning.

"Oh… I forgot," she responded absentmindedly. "Did you come looking for me, Syaoran?"

Her partner continued to scowl at her. "Do not attempt to change the subject. If it was some extra help you needed, why didn't you come to me?"

"Oh," Sakura brightened. "Is that why you're so upset? I just wanted to surprise you. Watch out Syaoran." She smirked. "One of these days I'm going to beat you."

At her silly words, Syaoran sighed and some of the tension in his face relaxed into exasperation. "You are hopeless," he informed her, turning around and walking away.

Catching up with him easily, Sakura fidgeted with the key she had looped into a necklace around her neck. "Ne… Syaoran. Did you know that Yue-sensei was a descendant of Clow's?"

He looked over at her in surprise. "No, I did not," he answered slowly. "And how is it that _you_ know? I doubt that this is something Yue shares with just anyone."

"Oh… he wears the Clow insignia around his neck, and I saw it… so I asked," she answered.

"You just… asked? Just like that?" he repeated, incredulous. "I wonder what on Earth possessed him to answer your question." Syaoran smirked at her and ruffled her hair. "And so how was it? Your lesson."

Sakura grinned. "Like I said, you'd better watch out."

"I am terrified," Syaoran responded sarcastically as the two of them returned to the dojo. "Are you going to tell me then?"

"Tell you what?" she asked.

"Why you got so upset this morning," he replied, stepping up the stairs, his eyes watching her carefully.

Next to him, Sakura stiffened. She'd enjoyed her private lesson with Yue so much that she'd completely forgotten about being annoyed with him. "Forget it," she muttered. "It doesn't matter anyways. Just don't bother me about that Tsukishiro Sakura girl again. It gets annoying listening to you curse her every waking moment of the day." For all that it was unintentional on his part, not even she was patient enough to stomach his complaints against her for such an extended period of time.

"Ah… I see," he said. "Well goodnight then."

"Yes…" Sakura slid the door of her room shut behind her. "Oyasumi."

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Amber eyes watched as Sakura stumbled into the classroom, nearly late for the second time that week. She gave him a sheepish grin and quickly rushed over to her seat. Syaoran shook his head, a crooked smirk on his face.

"What's so amusing, Syaoran?" Eriol asked from next to him. Syaoran glared at him, knowing very well what his friend was thinking.

"Keep your meaningless theories to yourself," he growled lowly as the teacher entered the room. The class rose, bowed, and a loud "ohayou gozaimasu" resounded from the students.

"And so, have you given up on Tsukishiro-san's little sister yet?" Eriol whispered as everyone around them readied themselves for the lesson.

"Of course not. I've been visiting Yukito-san nearly every day for the past week or so. Do you honestly I think I would give up when it comes to _him_? I don't know why she's being so difficult, unless she's hiding something," Syaoran answered crossly. They both automatically took out paper and ink as the writing master began lecturing.

"What if she's simply avoiding you because you're acting like a madman?" the sapphire-eyed first rank asked skeptically, a knowing grin on his face. It was the type of expression that irritated Syaoran the most. "And didn't you even make our precious little Kura-san mad? Perhaps she's jealous."

He glared at Eriol, deciding to ignore his last comment. "I just won't mention that girl to her again, even if I still don't know why it seemed to bother her so much. But more importantly, I _know _you know what's going on with Sakura girl. Eriol, _where is she_? Yukito-san, too, is acting mysteriously. He is well aware of my determination, and yet refuses to lend me any assistance."

"I believe," Eriol's eyes flashed angrily, startling Syaoran. "He is simply trying to protect someone precious to him. The one acting like a stubborn fool is you." An uncomfortable silence fell between the two of them, interrupted by the writing master calling on one of them to answer a question.

When several more long minutes had passed, however, Eriol tapped Syaoran on the shoulder and smiled – a kind smile. "But I do believe you are correct. This _is_ getting a bit ridiculous. If you really want to know more about Tsukishiro Sakura-san, then all you have to do is follow my instructions."

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Two weeks later, Syaoran found himself scowling angrily at no one in particular, his arms crossed, at a tea ceremony. Damn Eriol and his roundabout ways of giving advice. How in Kami's name was a tea ceremony supposed to help him find out more about Yukito's younger sister?

He refused to fidget, as some of the other students were accustomed doing, but even so found it much more difficult to stay still than usual. Tea ceremonies were calming and introspective, but Syaoran was to anxious to appreciate the _wa sei kei _and _jaku _that usually accompanied the elegant atmosphere.

Sakura pouted angrily as she followed her cousin into the formal tea room. If she remembered correctly, they had agreed to her dressing up at a girl to only _two_ events – TWO! Why was it then that recently she found herself constantly disguised as Tsukishiro Sakura and visiting different corners of the Academy at Tomoyo's every whim?!

"Remind me again _why_ I couldn't simply attend as Kino?" Sakura muttered under her breath. "Li-sensei is going to notice if I don't appear at enough events. Actually, forget that. _Everyone _is going to notice if Kino Kura suddenly decided to disappear for _hours at a time_!"

"No one will notice if you're not present at _this_ event," Tomoyo replied cheerfully. "There are so many different ceremonies going on at the same time, and I reserved this room especially. No one will have a clue. And you are here because you wore that kimono to the masquerade. I had been saving it for a much more important event and even missed out on the chance to see you wearing it! It was hand made, you know. This is really the least you can do."

Sakura snorted. "I told you that I didn't mind wearing the same kimono twice. It was a masquerade party, so I doubt anyone noticed that it was _me _wearing it. Anyways, I thought you would be _happy_ that I decided to wear a kimono on my own initiative. How is it you always manage to con me into situations like this?"

Tomoyo merely smiled and gestured for the maid to open the door. "There's assigned seating," she whispered, the ghost of a smirk hovering over her full, red lips. "Yours is at the far left."

Her furtive tone did not go unnoticed by Sakura. Hesitantly, the emerald-eyed girl threw a suspicious glance at her friend before stepping into the room. Everything seemed normal to her at first. There were five zabutons total, one occupied by the server, and two others occupied by Eriol and Syaoran. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. That is, until Sakura realized where she had been positioned.

"Why did you put me next to _him_?" Sakura hissed. The way the seating was arranged, Syaoran had her neatly boxed off in the left corner, away from everyone else in the room. She received no response as Tomoyo merely giggled and went to sit down next to Eriol, who greeted her with a smile.

With a mental groan, Sakura realized that she had been set up. Looking nervously at her partner, her feet felt strangely heavy as she walked silently over towards the last, unoccupied zabuton.

"Konnichiwa," she greeted politely, her eyes not quite meeting his. This would certainly prove to be awkward.

It was everything Syaoran could do not to simply _stare_ at the object of his intense aggravation for the past few weeks. He had thought very uncivil thoughts towards her for many days now, and yet the first thing that came to mind as he watched her walk gracefully over to him was that the pale yellow kimono she was wearing brought out the softness in her face. She looked radiant.

Syaoran scowled inwardly as he nodded respectfully in response.

He was acting odd. His desire for answers did not change, but now that he sat silently beside her, performing the tea ceremony with the other people in the room, he found himself feeling much more guilty than he thought he would have. Somehow, it almost felt as if she'd been by his side the whole time, listening in on his verbal abuse of her.

The main occupant of Syaoran's mind was finding herself very grateful for the lack of conversation required by tea ceremonies. Sakura didn't know what to say to him! He'd been searching for her for ages, and she had, supposedly, been refusing to even _meet _him every single time he came around. Even though she had been privy to his thoughts on her abominable behavior, she still did not know how to act now that she was finally forced to face him as Tsukishiro Sakura.

Sakura felt a bit shy as she accepted the large teacup from the server. With both hands cupping the bottom edges of the porcelain, Sakura tipped it upwards to her lips, taking the smallest of sips. She had to think of an excuse to escape as soon as the ceremony ended.

Syaoran's eyes widened. For the briefest moment, he had almost been positive that her profile… but perhaps it had simply been a trick of the light? The way she had tipped the ceremonial teacup, the silhouette of her face… she had looked exactly like Kino!

He watched her carefully out of the corner of her eye. But _Tsukishiro_ Sakura's hair was black… and even if they had the same eyes and facial outline, it would be too much of a stretch to say that they were the same person.

Syaoran bowed and raised the tea to his own lips. Now that he thought about it, where _was_ Kino?

His gaze returned to the girl beside him. The more he watched her, the more he was convinced that the two were completely different people. There was no way Kino could manage to be so refined, and ladylike. Syaoran allowed himself a small smile as he imagined his partner pouting and twitching throughout the entire tea ceremony. The last time Dairan had held a tea ceremony, she had barely been able to sit still. No, they were definitely different people.

To the both of them, time seemed to pass much more quickly than usual. Sakura, dreading what was to come, felt the minutes tick by with increasing anxiety, and Syaoran, enjoying watching his companion far too much, felt that their quiet time together was far too short.

"Tsukishiro-san," he said as soon as the server bowed and left the room. Next to him, Sakura stiffened.

"What is it, Li-san?" Sakura said politely, rising rapidly from her kneeling position. She had to get out of here! Unsurprisingly, he stood just as quickly as she did and was even so bold as to place a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Would you be so kind as to take a walk with me?" he asked in a deep voice. Sakura froze. She could feel the warmth of his breath and the unyielding grip of his hand.

She shot a desperate look past Syaoran to Tomoyo, but her friend merely gave her a mutinous smile and left with Eriol. Sakura felt her heart heavy with dread. Could she risk being rude to him?

"I promise not to take too much of your time," he assured her gently, surprising Sakura with his endeavor at courteousness. Yet already, he was steering her out of the room by her arm and leading her out into the Academy grounds.

Sakura grimaced. Her case was lost. She had already known that there was no way Syaoran would let her go after trying to find her for so long. The best thing she could do now was to make up a story about seeing the scar-faced man and really just being curious. Or perhaps her lie should go a bit deeper than that? Would he be more likely to buy the story if she said that he'd killed some distant relative of hers?

"You are a very busy person, aren't you, Tsukishiro-san?" he commented as they walked together along a stone path. "It's been rather difficult to speak with you."

Sakura flushed. "Ah… well, I have been sick for a while. I apologize if my illness has caused you any inconvenience." It was an obvious lie. They both fell silent once again.

She gazed warily at him when he wasn't looking. Syaoran was certainly acting odd. For the past two weeks, he hadn't mentioned "Tsukishiro Sakura" to her at _all_, and now that he finally had a chance to wring some answers out of her, he was content to simply take a _walk_ with her? What was going on?

"Ano… Li-san," Sakura began hesitantly, unable to take the uncomfortable stillness any longer. "Is there something you wanted? If not, I think it would be best if I returned to my rooms to rest…"

"I wanted to ask you a bit more about that scar-faced man you mentioned a few weeks ago. How do you know him?" Syaoran said suddenly, staring down at her. "I apologize for my rudeness that night, but I must still insist. It is imperative that you tell me."

She resisted the urge to glare at him. "I do not believe I owe you any answer, Li-san," she retorted, the anger in her voice barely concealed. He opened his mouth to say something more, but she cut him off. "But I will answer nevertheless. I met that man one evening… and he took something important from me. That was the first and last time that I saw him. That is all."

Syaoran watched her facial expression carefully as she spoke. She did not seem to be lying. "And what was it that he took from you? If it is not too bold to ask."

"You **are** too bold," Sakura responded, flaring up. "I have not forgotten your dishonorable behavior towards me that night weeks ago. Even if your conscience is cleared, I do not hold your end of the bargain fulfilled. I will ask you one last time. Who is that man?"

He scowled to himself, but decided not to press her any further. It seemed that she did not know much about _him_ after all. "I am afraid that my reply must remain unchanged. I cannot say. I ask that you please forgive me, Tsukishiro-san."

"No," she said, a frown on her face. "No, I will not forgive you. To forgive your offense would mean to forget it, and I am afraid that I find it impossible to do so. It is here that we will part," Sakura stated, stopping where the path split off in two. Her emerald eyes glared defiantly up at him. "I will not lie. I hope that we do not meet again."

Syaoran was not sure what made him do it. Perhaps it was the expression on her face, so similar to another emerald-eyed girl he knew, or maybe it was because he… but whatever the reason, his hand reached out impulsively and touched her cheek. The both of them drew apart sharply, and Sakura turned bright red. Syaoran, on the other hand, retracted his hand quickly, his eyes wide. What was _wrong_ with him?

"I apologize," he mumbled, and Sakura straightened nervously.

"I think I had best be going," she whispered hurriedly, and he nodded. Turning from him quickly, Sakura ran away from him, confused and shaken.

Unfortunately for her, kimonos were not created for excessive leg movement, which she was accustomed to using when running, and the unhappy result was that she fell face-first into the stone pavement.

Syaoran watched, astonished.

Sakura remained motionless for a whole few seconds, too shocked and mortified to do anything. She could just die on the spot. Slowly, Sakura sat up, still faced away from him. Every fiber of her being begged the earth to open up and swallow her. Who else in this world could break up such a heavy mood with so clumsy a mistake so suddenly? Embarrassment did not do justice to the absolute humiliation she was feeling.

With the sleeve of her kimono, she brushed the dirt off of her cheeks and attempted to dust off the pebbles that had latched onto the rest of her clothes. The tie on her right zouri had snapped, and her sock had been pulled off with it. Hesitantly, still unable to bring herself to look at Syaoran, she picked up the fallen sandal and white sock.

The Li heir took this all in wordlessly. It would be wrong to laugh… _cruel_ to laugh… but the chuckle rearing to burst out of his mouth could not be completely concealed. Syaoran coughed.

"Ah… are you all right?" he asked, forcing the smile off of his face. He went over to her side to help the fallen girl up. She attempted to stand, but to both of their surprises, fell back down again. This time, however, Syaoran caught her in his arms.

"I'm so sorry!" Sakura gasped, wincing from the pain. Of all times to twist her ankle!

"It is no problem. Are you injured?" Syaoran asked, impressed. Most noblewomen did not take pain so silently, and from the expression on her face, he could guess what had happened. "Did you twist your ankle?"

She blushed.

Syaoran sighed and looked around. There was no one else in sight. Syaoran debated whether to take her to a proper doctor or to simply look at it himself. "May I?" he asked tentatively, gesturing towards her foot.

Sakura nodded mutely, looking everywhere _but_ at him, still furiously willing time to turn itself backwards.

Carefully, Syaoran lifted her foot just barely off the ground to look at it. There was a slight bruise forming around her ankle. He grimaced. It was a fairly painful-looking twist.

"I'm afraid that you won't be able to walk on this. Shall I carry you to a doctor?"

"No!" Sakura shouted, panicking. When she noticed that he was staring at her strangely, she quickly corrected herself. "I mean, no thank you. Could you please, um…" Where could he take her? If he took her to the doctor, then Syaoran might become suspicious of where Kino was! He couldn't take her back to the dojo… and Mei Ling-san lived with Tomoyo. "I really can walk on my own. This isn't necessary at all," she insisted, trying to move from his arms.

Syaoran held her firmly, amused by her futile struggle. There was also _another_ girl who had reacted the same way to being carried by him. But this time he wouldn't be giving her a piggyback.

"I'm afraid that I could not possibly allow you to walk on an injured foot. What everyone would say if they saw you limping and me not assisting you," he smirked at her.

Sakura glared up at him. "What people would say if they saw you _carrying _me," she muttered. "If it's not too much trouble then, could you please take me back to my brother's quarters?" She could take care of her foot there quickly and then return to the dojo as soon as possible. Twisted ankles were a common occurrence when sparring everyday, and her body was already accustomed to it. The sprain would heal soon.

"Of course," Syaoran was about to put her foot down when he saw something that stopped him in his tracks. He ran his thumb over the bottom of her right foot.

"That tickles!" Sakura squealed, squirming some more.

"My apologies," he said, not really paying attention.

The wound on the bottom of her foot – he recognized it. That was the scar that Sakura had gotten from stepping on a sharp rock at the lake. Taking care as to not let her see, Syaoran stole another glance at it as he hoisted her up in his arms. There was no mistake.

They weighed about the same… felt the same in his arms… had the same eyes, same smile, same sarcasm… Tsukishiro Sakura was Kino Kura! Then what of the hair? Was she wearing a wig?

Syaoran stared at the girl in his arms, stunned. No wonder she had never been home when he went calling. No wonder she had never been at Yukito's when he went to visit… she'd been _by his side _the whole time!

"Ano… Li-san, this isn't the direction of my brother's rooms. You're headed towards your dojo," Sakura said hesitantly, a bit frightened of the expression on his face.

It was true. Syaoran stopped, surprised. Then he realized something. "You know where my dojo is?" Syaoran asked, his voice hard.

"I – uh… Tomoyo-chan pointed it out to me once, in passing," she lied smoothly. He scowled. And of course, the Daidouji girl happened to be good friends of _both_ Tsukishiro Sakura and Kino Kura.

Syaoran's arms tightened around her. Another lie. Yet another lie. Who was this girl?!

He resisted the urge to let her down, grab hold of her shoulders, and shake her until she told him exactly what she was up to. Instead, he left her with a worried Yukito when he reached her "brother's" quarters and departed without saying goodbye. She had watched him leave, a slightly hurt expression on her face, but Syaoran knew that if he had spoken to her, there was no way he could have kept himself even-tempered.

Tsukishiro Sakura was Kino Kura. Kino Kura was Tsukishiro Sakura.

Syaoran wasn't sure how he felt about this. Then it was really _her_ who had been asking about that blasted man? And-

Syaoran stopped. The night of the masquerade, he had gone to the party for the sole _purpose_ of proving to himself that she was a not an important entity to him – that her hold over him was nothing of consequence. And yet, somehow he had actually _found_ her yet _again,_ and had spent the entire evening with her, believing that he'd actually forgotten about her?

He groaned. No wonder she'd been so upset whenever he mentioned Tsukishiro Sakura. He'd been insulting her to her _face_ for nearly an entire week!

Syaoran's hand twitched into a fist.

"Damn it!" He shouted loudly, punching a wooden post near his dojo. _Why_ did everything seem so… difficult all of a sudden? He still hadn't forgotten how he enjoyed the feel of her in his arms and how lovely he had thought her that morning. _Was he really beginning to lose all control? _

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**Tsuzuku…**

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Hahaha! So what do you think of that? Pretty interesting right? I promise much more SxS action on the way… if you REVIEW that is!

ano – umm…

kami – God

ohayou gozaimasu – good morning

doumo arigatou gozaimasu – thank you very much

ne – hey…

moshiwake gozaimasen – I'm very sorry. (extremely formal)

zabuton – seat cushion

zouri – traditional Japanese sandal

hai – yes

oyasumi – good night.

Wa sei kei and jaku – the four teaching of Sen no Rikyu, the founder of Japanese tea ceremonies.


	16. The Marketplace

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP. **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Haha. I'm trying not to let this story drag on **_**too**_** long… I'm still working on keeping this fanfiction at least reasonably concise. xD**

**So now Syaoran knows Tsukishiro Sakura's true identity… at least, one of them. Now read and see what happens! I'll do my best to write as fast as I can until AP testing. =D**

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Sixteen**

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Fitting the arrow nimbly to her bow and resting its stone tip on her finger, Sakura drew the weapon taut, aimed, and let it fly. The arrow hit the center of the wooden circle standing over thirty feet away. Stone arrowheads were heavier but better balanced than plain wooden practice ones, and Sakura's class was experimenting with different types and weights.

Next to her, Andou clapped her back and yelled, "Nice one, Kino!"

Sakura rubbed her nose, grinning. At the sound of clapping, however, they both turned around in surprise. "Mizuki-sensei!" She cried happily, her face lighting up.

"Very well done, Kino-kun," the archery mistress complimented warmly, walking over to Sakura's side. "You have a wonderful eye."

Sakura blushed, pleased. "Not at all… I've just been practicing for a very long time."

Kaho shook her head kindly. "Many people have been shooting arrows their entire lives, and still they lack your precision."

"Watch this, Mizuki-sensei!" Andou boasted loudly. He, too, picked up his bow and shot. It hid the wooden frame of the target, a very decent hit. "How was that?" he grinned, at the two of them.

Some of the other students began to snicker snidely, but Kaho praised him. "That was very well done. You've all improved so much this year… your last archery master did very well in teaching you everything about wooden arrows."

"These are harder," Yamazaki commented, fiddling with a dense, black-hued arrow tip.

"Do your best to feel the weight of arrow in your hands, and get a sense of the arrowhead shape. In battle, you do not often have the option of being selective when collecting fallen arrows. The difficulty with archery during times of actual fighting is that our quivers always seem to empty themselves far too quickly," she explained patiently. "But it isn't so difficult once you've gotten the hang of it. Look at Li-kun and Eriol-san."

All the boys, plus Sakura, turned towards to the two in question and watched as they both simultaneously lifted a random arrow from the pile without even looking at the arrowhead and shot it across the field. As expected, they both hit the wooden targets dead center.

"Mizuki-sensei… I can't even do that with _wooden_ arrows," Kikumaru complained, pouting. "That's not fair!!"

Several of the other students snorted loudly, while Andou yelled, "That's just because you suck at archery Kikumaru!"

"Well, perhaps it _was_ a bit unfair for me to use those two as an examples," Kaho agreed with a small laugh. "They are truly exceptional. But many of you are also improving as well. Especially Kino-kun." She finished with a smile.

Sakura blushed pink with pleasure.

"It's true," Eriol chimed in, he and Syaoran walking over to the group as well. "Kura-san is just as good as either of us, I believe. And Syaoran and I have been practicing since we were much younger."

"I'm no where near… as good as you two are," she stammered, embarrassed by all the attention she was getting. It was strange. She'd always tried to make it a point not to draw too much attention to herself, and yet somehow she always wound up as the topic of conversation.

"You're absolutely right."

Sakura made a face at the approaching Syaoran. Well, _he_ would just have to be the one exception, wouldn't he?

"Stop inflating his ego, Eriol. Kino tends to let these little trifles go to his head," her partner said scathingly. "He's right when he says that he's no where near our level." Sakura stuck her tongue out at him and everyone laughed again. It was so easy to laugh on such a bright, sunny day.

"Maa… I wouldn't be so sure, Li-kun," Kaho chided cheerfully. Everyone looked over at her in surprise. Eriol's grin grew larger.

"Mizuki-sensei?" he prompted.

"I have a splendid idea," she said suddenly, clapping her hands together. "Why don't we have a bit of a competition?"

"What kind of competition, sensei?" someone asked.

Kaho smiled. "At the end of today's lesson we will have an archery competition, using these stone arrows that we've been practicing with. The winner shall be granted a free day outside of Academy grounds, and will be allowed to bring a friend," she said. "And… if that winner is able to defeat _me_, then I shall give him a special surprise."

Immediately, there was a stir among the students. Days where they were allowed off of Academy grounds were few and far in between… and since the arrival of the students from the Daidouji Institute, they had all been kept busy. Sakura had still never had the chance since she arrived.

"It's not as if anyone can beat _Mizuki-sensei_," Kikumaru complained loudly again. At this statement, there was some disappointed grumbling and the excitement began to die down.

"Don't say that," she said kindly. "You still have another hour to practice before we begin. You should all do your best."

With renewed vigor, they all returned to shooting targets. Realizing that her quiver was empty, Sakura walked over to the large basket of arrows to collect some more, but when she walked past Syaoran, her shoulder brushed against his, just slightly, but it was enough to send an electric jolt coursing through her body. Hesitantly, she looked up at him, her throat going dry when she saw that his amber eyes were staring back at her.

A blush spread across her cheeks. Ever since the day of the tea ceremony, he'd been looking her in that same, strange way. Sakura wasn't sure what it was. At first he had seemed angry… then curious… and now he just kept _looking _at her with this expression she could make no sense of! His piercing gaze gave her butterflies by day and doggedly haunted her dreams by night. Sakura felt her heart pounding.

"Excuse me…" she mumbled, reaching for the arrows. Her pulse jumped again as his hand closed around hers.

They both stared at their hands in shock. Nervously, Sakura looked up at him once again, and felt some gratification in the fact that he looked just as surprised as she was by his actions. Apparently the contact hadn't been planned… but what exactly was he thinking?

"It's nothing," Syaoran muttered, removing his hand from hers and walking away. Sakura seriously doubted that it was "nothing", but he'd been acting weird for a while now. She did her best to shrug the somersaults her stomach was doing away, but it proved more difficult than she had anticipated to concentrate on practicing.

An hour later, Kaho clapped her hands, calling the boys back from their practicing. "Is everyone ready? Then we will begin," she commanded. "Everyone line up."

The students quickly formed a long line facing towards the targets as Kaho walked behind them, placing a single arrow in each of their quivers.

"You must hit within the largest ring on the target with the arrow I have given you all. Remember, you may have no longer than five seconds to shoot. Ready… shoot!"

There was a flurry of movement as everyone pulled the arrow out of the quiver, looked at it quickly to see what kind of tip had been placed on it, and shot. The first round was effective enough. There was a good deal of hushed cursing and cheering as only half the boys were able to move onto the second round.

"Step another ten feet back," Kaho said patiently, and those who had missed the target walked to the side, grumbling. "Shoot with the arrow I place in your quiver one more time from this distance, to make sure that the first round wasn't just luck."

Sakura's right hand reached back and ran a finger along the length of a feather at the end of the arrow. Drawing it quickly, she tried not to look to see what kind of stone tip it had, but instead simply weighed its balance in her hand. Setting it to the bow, she drew it back and then released it. The arrow raced through the air and hit he inner edge of the wooden ring.

There were eight people left in the running. "One more time," Mizuki-sensei said, once again replacing their empty quivers with a single arrow. "This time, please hit within the centermost wooden circle."

Syaoran did not hesitate and quickly drew his weapon back and shot. As expected, his arrow hit dead center. Next to him, Eriol's arrow also hit the middle of his target. The other boys were cheering now, for the last four people who were left.

"Li-kun, Eriol-san, Kino-kun, and Yamazaki-kun are left? Well, this is very good. You four are about to go well beyond what we've been practicing. Do your best," she commented. "We'll go one at a time now. Li-kun, you may go first. Please stand back here."

She added another good ten feet of distance between them and the targets, and some of the boys whistled. Kaho shushed them. "You may take up to ten seconds of preparation for this. Here. Try and hit the two targets over there simultaneously." The archery instructor handed an unconcerned Syaoran two arrows with the same stone tip.

"Ten seconds is unnecessary," he said, quickly drawing the both of them into his bow deftly and releasing. They both hit the targets with a loud thud.

Sakura stared, a bit surprised. He certainly made it look effortless… she at least had to set the arrows in and _attempt_ to aim correctly. Eriol proceeded in much of the same fashion, with both confidence and speed.

They all watched as Yamazaki stepped up and drew both of his arrows back. He took longer than the two before him, and while one of his arrows hit its target, the second skimmed its wooden rim. He missed.

"Nice try Yamazaki," Sakura grinned at him cheerfully, moving up to take her turn. The arrows Mizuki-sensei handed her were rather heavy, but Sakura drew them back with good balance and shut one eye, tilting her bow at an angle in order to aim better. Wetting her corner of her lips with her tongue in concentration, Sakura let the arrows fly, and they both hit the center of the rings.

"Yeah! Give those two first ranks a run for their money!" Andou cheered loudly, earning smirks from both Syaoran and Eriol. The others laughed.

"No… I still bet six hundred yen on Li," Kikumaru called out.

"That's a good idea. I place five hundred on Hiiragizawa."

"What about you Andou? Going to bet on Kino?"

"Uh… actually I…"

"It seems that no one wants to bet on you, Kino," Syaoran mocked, smirking at her.

Sakura glared at him, but she didn't quite manage to keep the smile off of her face. "Yeah, looks like it. I don't blame them though. I'd bet on you or Eriol-san too."

"How about I go first this time?" Eriol asked good-naturedly. "What is it this time, Mizuki-sensei, three arrows?"

"No…" she decided, handing him two new arrows. "Try it once more, but this time with two different types of arrows. You'll find that it's not just the stone arrowhead that's different, but also the wood used to make it."

"Thank you," he said, accepting the sharp sticks and setting them to his string. "Here I go." Eriol shot the arrows with ease, and they both hit the targets.

"See! I up my bet to one thousand yen on Hiiragizawa!" Andou yelled excitedly.

Sakura glowered at him out of the corner of her eye and muttered, "Traitor."

Syaoran chuckled softly. "I'll go next." He also succeeded in hitting the target, and Sakura too. They continued on in the same way for a while longer, moving back and switching the number and types of arrows they shot. Soon, the competition pushed them roughly fifty feet away from the targets.

Sakura squinted, trying to see the thin, wooden ring more clearly. This was getting ridiculous. "I think it's about time that I also joined this game," Kaho said with a smile. The class watched, rapt with attention as the beautiful archery mistress strode over to the center of the field, drew her bow back, and shot three arrows, each with a different tip fifty feet across the grounds and hit three separate targets. The only other female in the group felt her jaw drop open.

"Do I just give up now?" she mused aloud, arousing laughter from the spectators. This was impossible. She could barely _see_ where she was shooting.

"Don't give up so easily, Kino-kun," her teacher said kindly. "You've done amazingly well."

Sakura managed a weak grin as she took her arrows from Mizuki-sensei and walked to the center of the field. "Here goes nothing," she muttered, drawing her bow back and squinting. Back at home she had been the best at archery, even better than her father and mother, both of whom were excellent archers. Apparently, here at the Academy she would have to settle for third in her class.

She shot the arrows, and two of them hit the targets, but the third, the basic, wooden-tipped arrow, grazed the rim of the target. Sakura was out. "Ah… it was worth a try," she grinned as she went to join the group of students who were already out of the running, shaking her head. At least no one had bet any money on her.

Yamazaki clapped her on the back while Andou messed her hair up. "Good job, shorty," Sadaharu bellowed, a grin on his face. The other guys complimented her too. "I can't believe you kept up with the two of them for that long! Even among the first ranks they're at the top," Kudou said, a bit of awe in his voice.

"So who're you going to bet on?" Yamazaki asked as they once again refocused on the competition between Mizuki-sensei, Eriol, and Syaoran.

"Um…" Sakura hesitated, watching the three of them standing side-by-side, shooting arrow after arrow. "I don't know. Mizuki-sensei will probably win… she's amazing." But she really didn't want to place any bets on anyone… if she _did_, she'd probably put money on Syaoran, but her partner did not need any more ego boosting at the moment.

In the end, they decided it was a three-way tie because the gong for the next class rang. Kaho, Eriol, and Syaoran all seemed a bit disappointed at the interruption, but they all bowed to each other politely, signifying the end of the match.

"Well, then I suppose you both may each bring a friend with you outside of the Academy for a day. Be sure to let Yue know when you would like to go," Mizuki-sensei told them, motioning for the servant boys to run and go retrieve all the arrows they had shot. "Since none of you _won_ per say, I'll keep my surprise again for another day. You'd all best go to your lessons now."

Syaoran smirked when he saw Sakura lingering behind and throwing hesitant glances his way. "Is there something you wanted?" he asked, the grin not leaving his face. "Fourth place?"

Sakura made a face at him. "No…" she trudged along beside him, since Eriol went to go join the others. "I was just wondering who you were thinking of bringing with you to town?"

It was difficult to suppress the smug chuckle that threatened to burst from his lips. Syaoran settled for an amused grunt. "I wasn't thinking of bringing anyone. No one else knows this, but Eriol and I are usually allowed into town whenever we feel like going. It's not really that big a deal…" he trailed off, looking down at Sakura out of the corner of his eye. "Why so curious?"

Sakura pouted. "Syaoran!" she huffed. "Are you really going to make me _ask_?!"

"Ask what?" he teased.

"Syaoran!" she whined. When he made no response other than raising an eyebrow at her, Sakura gave in. "Fine. Will you _please_ take me to town? Please? I've never been to a marketplace in the Nor-…. _Here_ before. I want to look around." She finished hastily, realizing what she had almost said.

"Fine," Syaoran answered, taking pity on her at last. There was a full-blown smirk on his face now. "How does tomorrow sound?"

"Tomorrow?!" Sakura squealed, jumping up and down in excitement. "Do we really get to stay the whole day? Will you show me around?"

He merely stared at her, the amusement not fading away. Pushing her into the classroom he muttered, "Class first, baka. I still have to ask permission."

--------------

Sakura woke up bright and early the next day, wide awake and excited. She ran out of her room, prepared to charge into Syaoran's and wake him up, but to her surprise (and delight), he was already awake, and standing in front of her doorway, hand raised, poised to knock on the wooden frame of her door.

"It's about time," he remarked dryly, taking in her disheveled hair and hastily put on clothes. "I was about to leave without you."

She stared up at him in puzzlement. "What about breakfast? I don't mind, but aren't you hungry?"

"We'll eat in town," was the short reply.

The two of them walked briskly out of toward the front gate of the Academy. Sakura felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise as the sharp, metal bars of the gate came into view. She had forgotten how boxed in she had felt her first night here. Now, however, it seemed almost fantastic that she had ever _been_ outside of these walls.

Everything went eerily smoothly. Sakura had often wondered how she would escape from the Academy, if a need for her to run ever arose. The guards at the front, recognizing Syaoran and seeing the pass she carried with her, bowed the two of them out of the school. It wasn't until she was a good distance away from the Academy that Sakura released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Syaoran turned at the sound of her sigh. "What's wrong?"

"No, it's nothing," she answered quietly, turning back and casting the quickly disappearing Academy a long look. "It just feels weird to be out of there. I'm not sure if I feel happy or relieved or what. What about you, Syaoran?"

"I feel the same as always," he said. "This is where I was born, after all."

"Haven't you ever left the Academy before?" Sakura asked as they continued along the dirt path. She had no clue where they were going, and she didn't recognize any of the landmarks around here, since it had been nighttime when Eriol had first shown her the way to the Academy, but Sakura felt comfortable just following Syaoran. It was a beautiful morning; the sun was out, the birds were chirping, and it was just the two of them, walking to town.

"I traveled a lot when I was younger," Syaoran said. "I don't so much anymore, but I still visit places occasionally."

"Have you ever been to the South?" Sakura asked without thinking.

There was a pause and the both of them lapsed into momentary silence, but Syaoran recovered quickly. "I've never been across the border, but I've gone through those woods a lot with Eriol." He nodded in the direction of a forest Sakura recognized as the one she had journeyed through to get to the North. "I've been to a few battlefields, but never into the actual South."

Sakura felt a bit disappointed. She was curious about what he would think of _her_ home, but the town was rapidly coming into view. "What're we going to do first?"

"I'll show you around," he promised. "We can grab something to eat along the way, and Eriol and your friend, Daidouji-san will probably be meeting us in a while."

"Tomoyo-chan is coming?" Sakura asked, surprised. "Eriol-san invited her?"

"I didn't know that they were so close either," he agreed as they passed by the first few houses. "But he seems to enjoy her company."

Sakura was at a loss. The two of them were usually together at parties and such, but she had always had the feeling that they seemed to be… _planning_ something. She'd never realized that the two of them might actually _like_ each other. This would definitely be something she had to ask Tomoyo later.

They were in town now, and there were women carrying baskets and men strolling beside them, arms crossed, with children running around under foot. Sakura couldn't help smiling. It felt like she was home again.

"Onii-chan…" Sakura felt a tug at the edge of her sleeve. She looked down, in surprise. It was a little boy holding up an apple. "Wanna buy an apple?"

Sakura smiled, satisfied that her disguise was working well even outside of the Academy. Everyone still thought she was a male. Instinctively, she reached for the purse she had tied to her waist, but Syaoran stopped her. "Those aren't in season," he said, putting a hand on her arm. Sakura looked again at the little boy who was still staring up at her. He was wearing shabby clothes, his face was smudged with dirt, and quite honestly, he smelled. The children here reminded her of the children back at home. She wanted to help him.

To her surprise, Syaoran drew a piece of candy out of his sleeve and handed it to the boy. "Here kid," he said, tossing him the tiny treat. "Run along."

Sakura beamed up at him. "I always knew you were a softie," she teased. He merely snorted and glared at her. "If _I_ didn't do something, you were going to feel sorry for the kid and then actually buy that rotten apple. _Then_ you'd feel bad about wasting food and you'd actually eat it. I'm telling you now, but I don't plan on lugging your sorry butt all the way back to the Academy. This town is much farther away from the dojo than the Sakura forest is."

It felt surreal. She was having fun just watching the average hustle and bustle of everyday life unfold around her, and was fascinated by everything she didn't recognize. Had it really been so long since she'd been outside?

"Hey Syaoran, what _is_ that?" she pointed at an old man tending a vendor. He was cooking something that looked somewhat like a yellow-brown, fist-sized cake, and it smelled delicious.

"Did you want some?" he asked, leading her over to the vendor. "Old man, a bag of these."

"One bag of red bean pastries for the two samurai boys, okay!" the old man grinned, flipping a set of fresh, golden cakes into a brown paper bag.

Sakura felt her mouth water at the aroma of hot red bean pastries, and as Syaoran paid the vendor, she grabbed one and took a large bite out of it. "MMmm! Syaoran!" she squealed. "It's good!!"

Syaoran watched her, a half smile on his face. "You are way too easily pleased. Our Academy serves gourmet food every meal every day, and you fall in love with the street-side red bean patties."

Her response was to simply continue munching away. "Hey!" she shouted when he fished a pastry out of the brown bag. "I thought you preferred the Academy's 'gourmet meals'? Leave my food alone!"

"First of all," he growled back, swiftly swallowing the bit of cake in one bite before she could steal it back from him. "**I** paid for this food, and secondly, I never said I disliked this stuff. It was at my suggestion that we came to town to buy breakfast."

Sakura shrugged cheerfully. "Are Eriol-san and Tomoyo-chan walking all the way out here to meet us?" she asked suddenly as the pair of students gazed out at the streets lined with people and animals, completely at ease.

"As if," he retorted. "Eriol can't ask a lady to walk all that way. If Daidouji-san can ride, they'll come by horse. If not, by carriage, most likely."

"Tomoyo-chan is a decent rider; they'll probably come by horse then," she mused aloud. "Can we go to the marketplace first anyways?"

Syaoran nodded. "They'll be on their way soon. We might as well meet them there. Come on, it's this way."

Sakura almost tripped over a loose chicken on the way there, but avoided stepping on the squawking bird at the last moment by jumping over it and straight into a large, busty woman holding her baby. Syaoran had, of course, caught the baby boy before he had been dropped to the ground, but Sakura had been at the mercy of the woman's wrath for a good ten minutes, being scolded and yelled at. To add salt to the wound, Syaoran had actually begun roaring with laughter as soon as the offended female had left, causing Sakura to pout.

To her surprise, however, the laughing did not end, but Syaoran continued to laugh and to laugh, doubling over to clutch his stomach. She had, of course, stared; because it was rare that Syaoran ever laughed so hard his shoulders shook and his face turned red. If he was in a good mood, he might chuckle or smile, but Sakura doubted she had ever seen a full-blown laugh erupt out of him. That he seemed so incredibly… open this morning warmed her and made her happy.

"It wasn't _that_ funny," she teased, poking him in the ribs where she knew he was ticklish. Syaoran swatted her hand away and leaned against the wooden post of a store, gasping for breath. Apparently, he was exhausted from laughing.

"You should have seen the expression on your face," he mumbled, still trying to settle down. "I wasn't sure who was more surprised. You, the lady, or the chicken."

Sakura was about to whack him on the head when something caught her eye. "Ooh… Syaoran, look at this." Her partner turned to see what she was looking at.

"I had not realized these kinds of… trinkets interested you," he muttered, as the two of them walked towards the large, wooden stand. Reaching out, Syaoran picked up the cherry blossom-designed hair ornament and smirked. "Isn't this for _women_, Kino?"

Sakura slapped herself in the forehead. "I meant… uh, _that_!" She pointed at a random object next to it. To her surprise, however, the object she had selected by accident proved really rather pretty. It was a tiny medallion, the size of a five-yen coin, with Chinese characters carved onto it.

"Oh?" Syaoran said, surprised. "And do you know what this says?"

"Ahaha… no," she admitted, scratching the back of her head in an embarrassed sort of way.

"There's a pair," he noted, picking up a second medallion. "Now this… is odd," he whispered, looking at the two metal circles before raising his head and calling. "Owner! Where did you get these two medallions?"

The shopkeeper came over and looked at the objects he was holding. "It's interesting that you would pick those," she commented. "They're rather pretty little things, but I was about to throw them away because no one seemed to want them. I'm under the impression that they've been lying around in the shop for generations now. You want them?"

"How much?" Sakura asked, still staring at the medallion on the left. There were cherry blossom petals carved into the background of the Chinese characters.

"I'll give you the pair for a thousand yen. Bargain price," the woman said.

Syaoran handed her five thousand. "Take it," he said when the shopkeeper tried to protest. "Even if no one wants them, these medallions are probably worth five times as much as what I'm paying you."

They left the small stand and continued down the market road, and Syaoran handed Sakura the cherry blossom medallion. "It says 'Ying Fa' in Chinese, which means 'Sakura' in Japanese. Keep it. It suits you."

Sakura wanted to ask _why_ in the world he thought _Sakura_ suited _her_, but held back, since her desire to keep the trinket was greater than even her curiosity. "What does that one say?" she asked.

"Can you guess from looking at the carving on the back?" he handed the small, silver circle to her.

"There's a wolf carved on the back!" she exclaimed.

"That character reads 'Lang' in Chinese, which means wolf," he said, taking it back.

She thought for a moment before slipping the Academy chain around her wrist off, and threading it through the hole that was in the medallion before re-wrapping it around her wrist. "See?" she showed him.

Syaoran stared at the two pendants, one of the Academy's and Li Clan insignia, and the other of a cherry blossom, for a few seconds before doing the same thing. "That's not a bad idea, Kino." Sakura grinned as he, too, held his wrist up for her to see. It sent a sort of girlish thrill through her as she realized that they were matching.

"Come, let's look at the rest of the shops," he said, pulling her from her thoughts. Right then, they both turned at the sound of a male voice yelling, "Syaoran! Kura-san!"

It was Eriol and Tomoyo, the two of them walking and arm in arm up to Sakura and Syaoran. "We left the horses at the local stable," Eriol explained once they were all together. "Have you guys been waiting long?"

"We started shopping without you!" Sakura answered brightly, pointing to the medallion on Syaoran's wrist.

"Well… isn't that something," the sapphire-eyed first rank said, a peculiar look in his eyes as he stared from Syaoran's hand to Sakura's.

"Oh!" a cry from Tomoyo startled them all.

"Tomoyo-chan, what is it?" Sakura asked worriedly.

She received no response. Tomoyo was already rushing into a kimono-fabric store before any of them realized it. "Tomoyo-san can move very quickly when she puts her mind to it, can't she?" Eriol chuckled aloud, turning and following behind the amethyst-eyed beauty.

Sakura laughed and Syaoran looked rather amused, and they joined the other two.

The four spent most of the day in the marketplace, and at the end of several long hours, all of them had purchased something, even Eriol. Tomoyo had bought several pounds of cloth, jewelry, hair ornaments, makeup, and bags, and had to pay several boys to take them back to the Academy for her. Eriol had purchased an intricate looking box, which he explained to Sakura, was actually a puzzle box, which had to be solved in order to be opened. Sakura bought two concealable daggers from a pawnshop, as well as a new comb for Kero-chan, and some bruise ointment. Syaoran had made several purchases, but he refused to show them to everyone else, despite Eriol's prodding and Sakura's pouting.

Since the sun was beginning to set, Syaoran said that they might as well stop by the local bar to really get a feel for the town's nightlife. Eriol expressed his concern about Tomoyo's well being, but the latter assured him that she would be perfectly fine. They were walking towards the pub when a sudden tap at Sakura's shoulder made her jump.

"W-What?" she spun around quickly to face whoever it was that had touched her. "Who are you?" The rest of the group stopped to look.

It was an old lady, wrapped in a dirty brown shawl, and she beckoned towards Sakura. "Come," she whispered and gestured for her to follow. With that, the old woman disappeared into a small shack by the edge of the road.

Sakura turned to Syaoran, still slightly shocked. The old woman had come out from nowhere! "Should I go?" she asked, hesitantly.

"We can go if you want," he answered, moving to stand next to her. "If that woman is trouble we can always just leave."

Sakura nodded and, feeling curious, decided to follow the woman in. "Excuse me," she asked. "What is it you wanted, grandmother?"

"Girl… tell the rest of your friends to come in too. I'll tell you your fortunes."

"Oh… Tomoyo-chan! Eriol-san. The old woman is a fortuneteller! Do you want your fortunes told?"

Suddenly, Sakura realized something. Turning sharply back to the old lady she said, "You're mistaken, by the way. I'm not a girl, I'm a guy. But that's okay, I get that a lot."

The fortuneteller merely smiled mysteriously in response. Tomoyo and Eriol stepped into the shack behind them.

"I'll start with the young heiress in the back. Come here, dear."

They all looked a bit surprised, since the woman clearly meant Tomoyo, but how had she known that she was an heiress? Was it simply that she looked rich? Hesitantly, Tomoyo stepped up and sat down in front of the old woman. They were separated by a small, red table. Immediately, the fortuneteller whipped out a deck of cards in one swift movement. "Give me your hand, dear," she whispered.

Sakura's second cousin reluctantly reached her right hand out over the table for the woman to see. The psychic barely cast her palm a glance before she was quickly dealing out tarot cards on the table. At the end of a flutter of swift shuffling, a diamond of laddered tarot cards, all but the three face down cards in the middle were upturned.

"The cards facing towards you, my dear," the woman whispered in a shrill voice. "Represent the forces, which have been affecting your past. The cards facing towards _me_ are vague prospects for your far future. The three that are face down represent the near future. Turn them over, and I will explain them to you."

Tomoyo flipped all three cards over.

"Ah… you have the World, sweet. And see this; it is placed next to the raining cup," the soothsayer began to explain. "The treasures you hold most dear to you are beginning to move already. They are beginning to grow… and though there may be some difficulties along the way…" her pale finger moved over the rain spilling out of the cups dawn on the center card. "In the end, there shall be the world at your finger tips. This last card though… oh!"

Tomoyo mumbled, "It's upside down. Is there some mistake?"

"You've the crown, upside down, my dear. There is no mistake. Allow your heart to rule over your mind, and you shall make new discoveries within yourself," she smiled crookedly. "That boy who is near you is wise like a king, no doubt. You ought to go with him."

Sakura watched curiously as her friend turned a visible shade of pink, even in the dim light of the shack, and edged out of the seat quickly. Interestingly enough, she stood on the side of the room farthest away from Eriol.

"Now you, keeper of many secrets," the old woman pointed at Eriol. "Take a seat."

The shuffling went much more quickly this time, and the woman did not have to tell Eriol what to do, but when he flipped his three cards over, the fortuneteller fell silent for several long minutes.

"You have the magician, the ace of pentacles, and the knight of wands," she said at last. "You hold the reins of destiny, and your goal shall be realized soon. To be sure, what you plan will require much effort, but rest assured that Fate is watching over your every endeavor, so long a your intentions remain pure." She paused before saying. "Do you see this wand young man? This means that it is time for you to realize your true potential… and position. Now you, silent and sullen one."

Syaoran stepped up, and immediately the cards began darting to different spots of the table again. "The Fool…" she cooed softly. "Very soon, it will seem as if Fate enjoys playing tricks on you. This card speaks of betrayal, but you have _this_ to your advantage." Her hand hovered over the middle card. "Strength. If you remain steadfast, you will surely persevere." The fortuneteller took his large, sun-tanned hand in her frail, withering one. "You shall most definitely be hurt by what is to come, but hold strong for I am sure that at that time you will know what to do. But now I must tell you the truth, I do not understand what this last card could mean."

The old woman stared shrewdly over the table at Syaoran. "You have the Swords… perhaps literally? I cannot say. But from the look in your eyes, I can tell that you already know what it means. Are you satisfied with what I have told you?"

Syaoran nodded wordlessly.

"You next then, child of many faces. Come here."

Sakura moved from her stationary spot next to the wall and took Syaoran's place at the wooden table. As she waited for the soothsayer to get her cards ready, Sakura watched the old lady's face carefully, taking note of the intense concentration on her aging face. Most fortunetellers lived in grand, colorful tents and usually coated their skin with makeup to seem more impressive. Sakura felt that this small old woman, though her skin was cracked and plain and her home humble, gave off a much more genuine air than any other fortuneteller she had ever seen.

With a start, Sakura realized that her "future" had already been dealt out and that the woman was staring at her patiently, waiting for her to get started. Hesitantly, she turned over her three cards. Immediately, the woman seized Sakura's right hand and examined it carefully.

"Fate's hand is upon you too, my child," she said mournfully. "Destiny has dealt you a difficult path. You, too, have the Swords… but more importantly, you have Death, upside down."

Sakura sucked in a sharp breath. She had no clue what Death _meant_ exactly… but surely it couldn't be good.

"As you have probably guessed, Death shall knock at your door soon, but whether it is you or another that shall die has yet to be seen. This Death is upside sown, so its result, whether good or bad, shall be determined by you."

The fortuneteller's gaze was locked fiercely upon Sakura's face, and she felt uncomfortable. "Um… what does this card mean?" Sakura asked, pointing at the last one.

"It is the Red Thread, which signifies the tie of love, connecting you and your soul mate. It, too, is in great danger. See how perilously close it leans towards the Swords. Be careful, or else it shall be cut."

In the end it was Eriol who paid for the fortuneteller, since Sakura had bought them lunch, and Syaoran promised to treat them at the bar down the street. They all bid the psychic farewell, but before Sakura left the shack, the old woman suddenly appeared behind her again, and tugged firmly on her sleeve.

"Beware my child," she wailed. "Of the scar-faced devil."

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**Haha. Just so you know, I made up everything about the tarot cards. I don't know what kind of symbols they use, or what they mean, so any mystics out there reading this, please don't kill me, I didn't mean any harm. Next chapter will really get interesting… I won't let you all read it!**

… **unless you REVIEW that is! Pretty please? **

maa… - well… or there, there…

baka – idiot

onii-chan – big brother


	17. Those Who Visit the Pub

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP. **

**Special announcement! There will **_**not**_** be an updating next week, because I will be out of town and unable to gain access to a computer – it's spring break! I'm really sorry about this, but unless some sudden lightening bolt of inspiration strikes down from heaven within the next few minutes, I'm afraid that an update will be impossible. I'm really very sorry about this, but I hope you'll all look forward to the chapter coming up in two weeks!**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. Haha, yeah, the plot is definitely picking up its pace. I really don't want this story to turn out **_**too**_** long, so I'm doing my best to consolidate all of my thoughts. This is definitely harder than I thought it would be! But then, I've been sticking to this story much better than I have my previous ones… and I'm really happy that a lot of you have noticed my growth writing-skill-wise. I'm trying!**

**So thanks again everyone, and please enjoy the story. **

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Seventeen**

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The group wandered into the loud bustle of the local pub in an uncomfortable silence. Both Syaoran and Sakura bore grim expressions on their faces while Tomoyo fidgeted markedly more than usual as she walked quietly beside a serious-looking Eriol. The dull roar of the many people talking and walking about in the bar contrasted sharply with their own hush. They were all each too caught up in their own thoughts to take much note of the others, except for Syaoran, who continued to throw Sakura shrewd stares every few seconds.

"My, my what long faces. I do believe this is the first time I've seen you walk into my bar without a smile on your face, Eriol-kun!" a loud, bossy female voice called them from their reverie. Sakura and Tomoyo looked up in surprise while Eriol grinned and Syaoran nodded in acknowledgment to the tall, pudgy woman standing behind the counter, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Yumiko-san!" the sapphire-eyed boy greeted warmly. "You're looking wonderful, as usual."

This "Yumiko-san" was a voluptuous woman with thick, curly brown hair, a friendly scowl, and a height, which towered above Sakura's own 5'4".

"Isn't Nomu here? Where's that old drunk?" Syaoran asked, looking around. "He's usually around here drinking with the customers isn't he?"

"Don't talk about my good-for-nothing husband like that!" Yumiko snapped easily, heading towards the back of the bar. "Only I may claim that particular privilege. What shall I get the two of you, the usual?"

"For the two of us that would be fine," Eriol turned to Sakura and Tomoyo. "And what would you two like to drink?"

"_Nadeshiko-Ume_ sake," they answered at the same time.

"Oh?" the bar lady returned with two small cups and two separate sake bottles. "Well if this isn't a surprise. You brought guests with you. Another student from the Academy, this one, isn't he? But goodness, if it isn't a real high bred lady you've brought to this tiny pub of mine. Well, how do you both do?"

Sakura couldn't help but smile. The bar lady was neither refined nor educated, but she had a pleasant, plump sort of drawl that made the emerald-eyed girl feel relaxed and at home. "I'm fine, thanks," she answered, grinning. Tomoyo bowed slightly.

"_Nadeshiko-Ume_ sake? Your lot is always so fancy. Let me go see if we have any of that left… I don't believe we have more than one bottle, it's so difficult to come by."

As Yumiko-san disappeared into the back of the building, Eriol and Syaoran grabbed their drinks and led the group over to a low, cherry wood table. "She'll be back soon," Syaoran said, nodding in the direction the bar lady had left in. "This is the best place to experience the local nightlife. They get all sorts of characters here… the bar owner and his wife, Yumiko-san, are a pair of personalities themselves."

"I like her," Sakura quipped as she stole a sip of Syaoran's sake when Tomoyo finished pouring it into his cup for him and turned to help Eriol. "Whoa!" her eyes shot wide open. "What _is_ this, Syaoran?"

The stiff atmosphere around them was quickly melting away as the normal bantering between the two partners with the occasional input from Eriol and Tomoyo replaced the silence. The sake, too, played its part, warming the somewhat put-off group up and loosening their tongues.

"Is it too strong for you?" the Li heir asked, his eyebrows raised in amusement. "This is called the _Kuroba_, black leaf sake. I suppose it is rather heavy… are you a light-weight, Kino?"

"It's not that it's too strong…" she countered slowly. "It just has a very… complicated taste to it. I prefer _Nadeshiko-Ume_, Nadeshiko plum blossom sake. It's sweeter and smoother. Right, Tomoyo-chan?"

Her friend smiled and nodded before turning to Eriol. "And what might you be drinking, Eriol-san?"

The enigmatic first-rank took a long sip of the warm alcohol before answering, "Mm… _waka kaede_, young maple leaf. It's not bad. Would you like to try some, Tomoyo-san?"

She was kept from answering when Yumiko-san returned with Sakura and Tomoyo's drinks. "Here you go, boy, milady. The last bottle of its kind in the house, and all heated up for the both of you. Enjoy!"

"Do you two come here often?" Sakura asked as she poured the hot, clear liquid into her cup. It was only after both males looked at her questioningly that she realized her mistake. "We're not in a formal gathering!" she defended hotly, a frantic blush rising to her cheeks. "Tomoyo-chan doesn't have to serve me sake if she doesn't want to. I'm perfectly able to pour my own drink!"

Syaoran ignored her outburst and quickly swiped the sake cup out of her hand. "I want to try," he said. "If this is really the last bottle in the house, Kami knows how much Yumiko-san is going to charge for it. You're lucky it's on me, Kino."

"I'm hardly worried about _your _wallet, _Li_," she shot back acidly, glaring at him as he took a long drink from her cup.

He was silent for a moment before handing it back to her. "It's sweet," was his only comment.

Sakura pouted and took a long drink of sake, looking around the room. At the table next to them was a large group of about eight big, burly men, who all reeked of sweat. They laughed loudly and shouted profanity at random intervals, all of them betting over a set of dice. Sakura guessed that they were probably carpenters or blacksmiths of some sort. Her observation continued.

There were a few couples scattered about the room, mumbling quietly to themselves, and a couple more large groups of men chatting loudly. One man was propped up against the bar, chatting with Yumiko-san as his friend was passed out next to him. However, it was the cloaked figure sitting in the dimmed corner of the room that caught her attention. Sakura's gaze returned to him several more times that night as she continued to drink and talk with her friends.

"Sorry, what did you say again?" Sakura said quickly, realizing that she hadn't been paying attention.

"Is something bothering you?" Syaoran asked quietly. This was the third time he'd had to repeat a statement to her already.

Sakura waved it off, laughing nervously. "No… it's nothing."

He regarded her silently for a moment before crossing his arms and saying, "You shouldn't be bothered too much by what that that old fortuneteller said. In then end, she's still just an old woman."

"Aren't you going to tell me that she's just a fake and not to take her words to heart?" Sakura asked, wryly.

"Syaoran's not the type who would lie to you, Kura-san, even if it was simply to make you feel better," Eriol answered cheerfully. "I think we're all rather impressed by that old woman's fortune telling. What Syaoran's trying to say is that the future isn't set in stone, so you shouldn't be too worried. The present is more important after all."

"Yes… that fortuneteller did seem to command some true soothsaying powers, didn't she? She was rather frightening," Tomoyo whispered, and to all of their surprises, Eriol reached out and touched her on the shoulder, comfortingly. The three others openly stared. It wasn't like Eriol to actually physically _touch_ and treat someone so familiarly. Amethyst eyes stared up into sapphire ones hesitantly.

It took a great deal of effort, but in the end Sakura managed to avert her gaze to give the two of them some privacy. Her eyes, however, automatically returned to the cloaked figure in the corner of the room. "What do you keep looking at?" Syaoran asked suddenly, startling her. "Do you know that man?"

"No, I was just looking," Sakura responded with a small smile. "He's the only person here alone tonight, so I was a bit curious."

Syaoran frowned. "Stop staring at random men, it's rude. If he's alone, you ought to leave him alone. You're going to make him uncomfortable with those beady eyes of yours."

She puffed her cheeks out in annoyance. "I wasn't _staring_ and my eyes aren't _beady_… mou, why do you always have to insult me?" Sakura demanded.

He shrugged at her question and merely turned to greet Yumiko-san, who was coming over to make sure everything was going well with her customers. "More sake, Li-kun?" she asked, picking up Syaoran's empty bottle. "I'm afraid the new boy and the young lady will have to order something different to drink though. Like I said before, that was the only bottle."

"I'll have the same as Syaoran then," Sakura said, grinning. "My name is Kino by the way. Kino Kura."

"Kino-kun then," the bar lady said, nodding. "And what about the pretty lady?"

"Daidouji Tomoyo desu. Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu," Tomoyo said, bowing her head slightly.

"My, my. No need to waste such pretty manners on someone like me. Tomoyo-san, is it? What would you like then?"

"She'll have the same as me. Another round of _waka kaede_ please, Yumiko-san," Eriol said, a broad grin on his face.

"Oh?" Yumiko-san commented, an amused smile on her face. "Is that so? Well, just excuse little old me then. I'll be right back with your drinks."

Sakura felt a blissful smile spread across her lips as she watched Tomoyo and Eriol continue to talk in quiet voices to each other. She'd never seen Tomoyo so taken by anyone before. Eriol looked rather pleased with himself too. Sitting across from the two of them, Sakura thought that Eriol seemed like a charming prince gently wooing his princess. They looked good together.

Yumiko-san returned quickly, but when she returned she brought only one bottle of _waka kaede_. Syaoran frowned a little. Sakura recognized it as a frown of confusion, not anger, but the barkeeper did not have the advantage of being able to interpret the slight nuances of Syaoran's facial expressions.

"Don't look at me like that, Li-kun. I usually make sure to keep a few bottles on hand since you boys are a pair of my favorite patrons, but tonight someone else has been ordering your preferred _Kuroba_ sake. You'll just have to order something else."

Sakura's ears perked up at this. "That person… wouldn't happen to be the man sitting in the corner, would it?" she pointed to her left and turned to look at him. "That man over there."

"Why, yes. Do you know him? I should have guessed. This is the first time I've ever seen this customer before, but he has high tastes just like the rest of you. He bears a strong resemblance to Li-kun here, now that I think about it."

"No, I don't know him…"

They were all staring intently over at him, and at that moment, he stood suddenly, placing some money on the table and turned to leave. Sakura's gaze followed him all the way out of the pub, but then Yumiko-san's description of him finally hit her. _Looks like Syaoran… but it couldn't be_.

Standing quickly, Sakura yelled a quick, "I'll be right back", and dashed after the cloaked figure. Behind her, she heard someone stand abruptly and she thought she heard Syaoran shout something at her, but Sakura was too preoccupied with trying to catch sight of the person's face. A thick wall of people seemed to materialize out of nowhere and slow her down, but Sakura strained her neck, trying to see over them, all while pushing forward.

It was a lost case, since there was no way she could ever catch up to him in time, and he was nearly to the door, but it all seemed irrelevant to her. She _had to see his face_! The old fortuneteller's words resounded in her head _"Death… and beware of the scar-faced man…"_ It made her nervous. It made her _scared_. She had to make sure that that stranger wasn't him, just to prove it to herself.

She felt Syaoran's presence come up behind her, and he placed a hang on her shoulder, keeping her still and asking her what was wrong. Sakura tried to brush his hand off, but his grip was firm so she gave it up and instead craned her neck forward, trying to see past the rest of the customers to where the cloaked figure was. Surely he wasn't gone yet…

"Kino! What are you doing?" Syaoran demanded, shaking lightly.

"Syaoran, just wait a minute would you? I'm trying to…" Sakura broke off as the man turned slightly just before he disappeared into the darkness outside. It was just for a second, but she had definitely seen it. His face. His _scar_.

Her heart plummeted deep into her stomach, and all color drained out of her face.

Sakura staggered, and would have fallen, but Syaoran stood behind her like a wall, supporting her suddenly too-heavy body.

Numbly, she felt his arms wrap around her sides, holding her up, but that was the last coherent thought her mind processed for a good few minutes. Her mind swam and her thoughts jumped from one thing to another, unable to concentrate.

There was no way… had she really seen that? Him? –it? Trick of the light? … no… not possible. But then he couldn't actually… here? No, no way. Too sudden. Too soon. Too close! He **couldn't **be there… just like that. It was too simple! Too – too…!

An image of her father and mother's wrangled bodies lying in a pool of blood shook through her entire body, nearly choking her.

He was actually here. He… he… the scar-faced man… the man she had sworn revenge on… the murderer… he was actually here… he was so close… was it really so easy? Could she really just kill him now? He was just… outside… what was she still doing inside? What was she doing here? Wasn't there something she was supposed to be doing? Father… Mother… why did she feel so warm?

Sakura stared down at herself blankly. One… two… three… four… four arms?

It was a few long moments before Sakura's mind returned to her, and she became slightly more aware of her surroundings. She still felt numb all over, so it was a while before she realized that Syaoran's arms were shaking. It was odd that he hadn't shoved her off yet. What was he doing?

Dazedly, Sakura tilted her chin upwards and looked at her partner. She was shocked to see his amber eyes wide and his jaw tight with fury, but what made her heart freeze was the one word he whispered to himself, next to her ear.

"… Aniki."

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Sakura was visibly pale as the group returned to the Academy. So much so that Eriol and Tomoyo _both _insisted that she take Eriol's horse and return ahead of the rest of them with Tomoyo. Syaoran remained completely silent throughout the whole ordeal, but this came as no surprise to Sakura, who imagined him to be deeply lost in thought, just as she was.

It did her no good, even after returning to her dojo and crumpling down onto her futon in an exhausted, yet panicked heap, since even though her body was motionless, her mind continued to run in frenzied, muddled circles, her thoughts twisting this way and that, her brain jumping quickly from one thing to another.

It was only after some time had passed that her brain finally realized that part of the maddening buzzing in her head was contributed to by her frantic, constant whisper, "He's his _brother_?"

"He's his brother…"

"He's _his brother_!"

"_He_'s _his_ brother?"

"Kami-sama that man is his brother!"

"Sakura!"

Sakura looked up, still in a daze. Her unfocused emerald eyes could just make out Syaoran in the darkness, running over to her side.

"Syaoran?" she mumbled numbly. This was _not_ the person she needed to see at the moment… but this was the person she **wanted** to be by her side. She wanted it in a deep, desperate sort of way. So why did she feel like throwing up just by seeing his face? Something sick and painful twisted in her gut.

"Sakura!" he lifted her limp body into his arms. She felt ashamed at her pathetic condition, but somehow she simply couldn't summon the energy to attempt to _move_ her limbs. The thoughts were still screaming around in her head. Sakura felt dizzy.

"Breathe. Shhh. Don't think about it, just take it easy," he whispered into her hair, rocking her back and forth.

Sakura wondered at this sudden change in his demeanor. His voice sounded scared, but of what? And why was he _holding _her? That was normal… not for him at least. This was all so strange… Surely he was upset at seeing his brother again? Why was he so worried about her? _She_ was the one who had been planning on killing _his_ brother. There was no reason for him to have any concern for her. Oh, but he hadn't known that she had been plotting his eldest brother's murder. That was right. Wait –

– had been?

That sounded… off. Did this really change anything? Could she bear to live with herself if she simply walked away from revenge? Had her **hate for this man died**? In her heart, Sakura knew the answer.

**No.**

"Sakura… are you all right now?" he asked in a low voice as his arms around her tightened.

Something furiously painful was rising in her chest, and she couldn't breathe. Sakura wanted to push him away… _scream_ at him. Tell him to leave someone like her alone, some_thing_ like her alone. She was going to betray him. She'd _already_ betrayed him. But his next action shocked her so much that she felt the words die in her throat.

Syaoran was _singing_ to her. He hummed softly next to her ear, a lullaby she didn't recognize and could not understand. It was probably in Chinese… and yet the deep rumble of his voice and the tenderness with which he sang washed over her soothingly.

The deep yearning was back. Sakura felt tears rush to her eyes as she stared up at him. There was no denying it, not now not ever – she loved him. From the depths of her heart to the to of her head to the very tips of her toes, she loved him. It hurt. She was going to betray him.

"Sakura, why are you crying?" he said softly, his thumb brushing the tears off of her cheeks.

"Syaoran, why are you here?" she asked. Her voice sounded surprisingly hoarse, even to herself. Sakura wondered why that was.

He glared at her. "I'm worried about you of course."

"No… but _why_? Don't you have things to… brood over right now? Why are you so worried about me?" she persisted.

He sighed. "I hadn't planned on coming to see you tonight, but when I came home you were so… loud, I couldn't have ignored you if I wanted to. And I certainly didn't _want_ to… you scared me there. Are you all right now?"

"Scared you? Loud? I wasn't moving around at all," Sakura said, trying to think of what noise she could have possibly been making. "I was whispering a bit I guess. Did that bother you?"

He stared at her. "Sakura, you were _screaming_."

Her face paled. Had she really been screaming? Without even realizing it? Unconsciously, her hand reached up to her throat. Is that why her words came out in a croak?

Sakura's eyes widened. Suddenly, she pushed him away with surprising force, knocking the both of them back a few feet. Syaoran automatically reached for again, concern in his eyes, but the moment their two gazes met, he froze.

She was scared- terrified. Of _him_.

"Sakura…" he said slowly.

"Who told you my name was Sakura?" she whispered, her arms wrapped around her stomach and tightened. What was this? "Someone please tell me this is just a nightmare," she whimpered.

Syaoran stared at her, horrorstruck. "Sakura, do not jump to conclusions. Give me time to explain," he began, but fell silent when his partner began to edge backwards, away from him as he took a step towards her.

Her lungs felt collapsed, and for a moment, the world spun. He knew? Syaoran _knew_? He'd _known_ that she was a girl… hadn't said a word to her… hadn't… he _knew_ that she was lying to him? _He knew? He knew he knew he knew he knew he knew?! _The jig had been up long ago and she hadn't even realized it?

"Sakura…" Syaoran murmured softly. "Please listen to me for a minute."

Sakura could have laughed at the irony of it all. How many sleepless nights had she tossed and turned… and now _he_ was the one begging to explain?

"How long?" she choked out, fresh tears welling up, clouding her vision. "Have you know?"

After deliberating for a few moments, Syaoran took a tentative step forward. Immediately, he drew back, his mouth set in a grim line. The moment he had moved closer, Sakura had darted to the corner of the room, crouched in a defensive position. It would probably be better to keep some distance between the two of them for the time being.

"The day you moved in," he answered, looking away, trying to keep a blush from rising to his cheeks at the memory. Now wasn't the appropriate time to apologize for peeping!

Sakura shut her eyes. "When I was in the bath?" she whispered.

He nodded.

"And why am I still here?" she asked him quietly, bluntly.

Syaoran scowled. "Does that even matter?" he demanded.

"Maybe not to **you**," she hissed from her corner. "But yes, it does. To me. I want to know why I haven't been publicly disgraced and thrown out onto the streets yet."

He sighed shakily, running a nervous hand through his hair. "I was… curious about you, at first," Syaoran answered honestly, his gaze back on her once again. He was still kicking himself for forcing her into this tight spot in the first place. This wasn't how he had meant for them to finally tell each other the truth, not with his brother's questionable presence still looming darkly above them. But he would do his best. "And then, no matter how much I tried to ignore, insult, and pound you into submission, you refused to give up, so I respected you. _Now_," he paused. "Now you are… important to me." There was a silence, and Sakura seemed to be waiting for more, but Syaoran did not know quite what to say. "That is why you are still here," he finished.

His amber eyes watched as the slender girl tensed at his statement, before relaxing a little in her dark corner. Her breathing was no longer erratic, and her eyes bore a less panicked expression.

"How important am I to you?" she asked suddenly.

Syaoran frowned. This was a complicated question that he could not honestly answer just yet. He didn't _know_ exactly how powerful her hold over him was. Just that it was there, and that eerily enough, he didn't mind it as much as he should. "Important enough… that I was willing to hum a lullaby to you," he said, a bit awkwardly. It was strange. Legions of students and servants followed his one word commands at his every whim – so then why was this so difficult to do?

Sakura wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. She was _important _to him. She was important to him! It made her sick to her stomach. He thought she was important, and she thought his brother was worth killing. Yes, it was a delightful set up. Really. She couldn't do this anymore.

Sakura cleared her throat. "Syaoran, I really think you ought to just turn me in now. You might think that I'm your friend, but I'm telling you now that I'm going to betray you."

This was it. She couldn't tell him everything… but she owed him at least that much. Now, all he had to do was kill her, or turn her in, or, or… something. But he had to get rid of her, push her away, and then all the pain that was curling inside of her chest would go away, because she would be free to hate herself in peace.

He stared at her quietly for a few moments, processing her words. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You're going to hate me," she said quietly.

To her infinite surprise, and distress, he chuckled softly and said, "Sakura, I no longer think that possible."

"What I plan to do is going to make _anything_ possible." Her tone was bitter. "Take my word for it when I say that you're going to hate me. You are."

"I don't think so," he told her.

"Who is it you think I am then?" she mumbled, wanting to know where exactly she stood. "How much do you know about me?"

"You are… Tsukishiro Sakura," he answered slowly, still not quite sure of his answer. "Yukito-san's younger sister."

Sakura felt her lips twist into a bitter smile. Oh, he would see. And then he would hate her. "You should get rid of me now. I'm going to make you hate me," she whispered. "And I can't stop myself. I'm not worth the dust at your feet, but still I'm going to hurt you. Get rid of me now, Syaoran. I tell you this before it's too late. I can't take it back."_ I love you. I don't want to hurt you._

The silence settled over them once again, but suddenly he straightened and walked deliberately towards her. Immediately, Sakura shut her eyes and hugged herself tighter. She prayed that it would be quick and painless. If it was Syaoran who finished her off then she could die without regrets, revenge be damned. Maybe, if there was such thing as life after death, they could be reborn into less impossible circumstances. Maybe they would be free to fall in love and stay in love and live in love. But now, all he had to do was end her misery.

When he reached her, however, his decision hurt her more than anything else he could have possibly done. He embraced her. He hugged her hard and close to him. He hugged her like he never wanted to let her go, like he wanted to keep her, like he loved her.

"I think it already is too late for me, Sakura," he muttered into her hair. It was true, he thought with resignation. She was far too precious to him. He could never hate her.

"It's never too late," she sobbed into his chest, her shoulders heaving with the force of it all. It all came unraveled, all at once. All the loneliness, sadness, bitterness, fear that had been bottled up inside of her, which she had kept in a neat little box in the most hidden, secret places of her heart, it had all been set back into motion by the fresh pain of seeing the scar-faced man… of finding out that he was Syaoran's brother… of finding out that Syaoran knew about her – and didn't hate her!

It was too much to handle. She wanted to run away. She loved him too much and she hated _him_ too much at the same time.

As if reading her thoughts, Syaoran hold around her tightened, and he pulled her even closer to him. "I'm not letting you go," he said in a low voice.

Sakura knew he didn't have a choice. He didn't know now what she was planning on doing. But would he even be able to look her in the face once it was done?

"Sakura…" his voice changed, and his arms loosened around her a bit, as his right hand snaked back from around her waist so that he could clasp her chin and force her to look up at him. "I…"

What was he going to say? 'I love you?' But did he really? Syaoran felt his throat close.

"Syaoran," she whispered, seeing the indecision in his eyes. She didn't want that. Not in a thousand, million years. He couldn't love her. It was too wrong. She would die if he did. The guilt would consume her – drive her into the deepest depths of whatever hell she deserved to go to. Friends was bad enough. She didn't deserve anything more. "Don't say it. Don't say anything."

And so they stayed silent in that same position, his arms wrapped possessively around her, deep, late into the night.

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**Eh… I don't know. I think I might come back and rewrite this chapter later on… I must admit, it came out much more rushed than I'd hoped, but I needed to get this in before I go on vacation tomorrow.**

**Well, let's just pretend for now that it was a decent chapter…**

**Dun dun dun dun!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, the brother has appeared, and Sakura realizes that Syaoran knows more than she thought he did… but still not enough. What's going to happen now? Honestly, I have no clue myself. REVIEW and let me know what you think while I pray to God that He would grant me some form of divine inspiration so that I can keep writing!**

**REVIEW!!!!! … please?**

Nadeshiko-Ume Sake – a Nadeshiko-plum alcoholic drink.

Kuroba Sake – Kuroba means "black leaf", and sake is alcohol.

Waka Kaede Sake – "waka" means young, "kaede" means maple, and sake is alcohol.

kami – God

mou – geez…

Daidouji Tomoyo _desu_ – I am Tomoyo Daidouji

douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu – literally, "please take care of me", but it means more of "I am in your care". '

aniki – older brother


	18. In the Library

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Yayy! I got so many reviews. :D Thanks to everyone who took the time to leave me a comment – it made me really happy. **

**As for this story's progress, I'm happy to say that the plot is well underway… and I have yet to miss a deadline. (Knock on wood). Thanks to all of you for your readership and encouragement. You guys are what keep me from just bailing out and leaving the story unfinished. **

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Eighteen**

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Emerald eyes stared straight ahead nervously, only to dart quickly to the side every few seconds to the amber-eyed first rank student who walked beside her. A nervous bead of sweat formed at the base of Sakura's neck. This had been going on for the _whole day_… and Sakura wasn't sure how much more she could take.

"Sakura."

"Y-yes?" she stammered quickly, doing her best (and failing miserably) to forcibly suppress the blush that automatically spread across her cheeks at the sound of _her name_ coming from _his lips_. It was so strange… and yet so very welcome. Butterflies… Sakura had never known that her stomach could feel so incredibly light and… jittery before.

He stared at her quietly before asking, "Are you _certain_you're feeling well? Did you get any sleep last night?"

Sakura flushed at the memory. Was he doing this on purpose? Was he reveling in her embarrassment? Her inability to look him straight in the face?! Yes, she'd slept well… a little bit _too_ well - with **his **arms conveniently wrapped around her waist all through the night. "Stop teasing me," she sniffed. "Were you not the one who woke me up this morning because I was _snoring_ too loudly for you sensitive ears to bear?"

Syaoran allowed a satisfied smirk to cross his face. "I haven't forgotten. If you're not tired, then what's bothering you? You've been jumpy since we woke up this morning."

Sakura jumped a little at his statement, the redness of her cheeks increasing. "Stop saying things like that!" she hissed, even as her mind traitorously felt a surge of feminine pleasure at the pronoun, _we_. When _we _woke up this morning... it had such a strange yet pleasant ring to it. "What if someone else hears?"

"What if someone else hears what?"

"HOEEEE!!" Both Sakura and Syaoran jumped apart, the latter shocked by Sakura's scream, and the former shocked by Eriol's sudden appearance. "Eriol-san!" she gasped, her heat pounding rapidly in her chest. "H-How nice to see you," she stammered unsteadily. "D-Did you - um - just arrive?"

He smiled cheerfully at her, "Oh yes, I suppose you could say that. What were the two of you talking about?"

"Nothing really, right Syaoran?" Sakura said quickly, her eyes immediately locking with her partner's. She begged him, without words, to think of something fast.

"About you and Daidouji-san, actually. I think it's about time you told us about what's going on between the two of you," Syaoran supplemented stoically, not missing a beat. His amber eyes turned shrewdly to his friend. "Sakura's been wondering the same thing. Opportunity to talk with her friend, Daidouji-san, for extended periods of time come rarely and she is simply too polite to ask you directly."

Sakura sighed in relief and smiled. Her smile, however, quickly dropped into a look of pure horror.

"SYAORAN!!!" she screeched. He... he-he had-

To her infinite surprise, Eriol merely chortled. "Oh, I thought about as much when I saw the two of you walking so close together. So, may I call you Sakura-san now?"

Sakura was speechless. She openly gaped at Eriol, and then finally turned to a very amused Syaoran with a look of confusion on her face. "Eriol knows," he explained, not mincing his words. "He probably knew before even I did."

The bewildered girl looked back and forth between the two of them, unsure of how to respond, and then settled for collapsing.

Not that the two of the highest-ranking students in the Northern Academy would allow her to fall.

They both reached her in a flash, Syaoran holding her up by her waist while Eriol steadied her shoulders. "Whoa there," he laughed lightly. "Perhaps this was a little too sudden?"

"You too? How is it that _you_ found out... or do I even want to know?" Sakura asked weakly. This was too much. How many people knew her secret? As she gazed back and forth between a smiling Eriol and concerned-looking Syaoran, she sighed, her shoulders slumping. This was the secret she had thought meant the difference between life and death – succeeding or failing to finish her revenge. Somehow, she had expected her discovery to be a bit more dramatic.

"I'm okay," she told Syaoran, standing back up.

He nodded solemnly at her before turning back to Eriol. "Well then? You are going to answer my question. Don't bother avoiding it."

"I wasn't trying to," he replied curtly. "Tomoyo-san and I have decided to remain simply friends for the time being." Something in his tone told Sakura that he was not fantastically happy with that fact.

"For the time being," Syaoran repeated skeptically. "What did you do to scare the poor girl off? Daidouji-san is smarter than I gave her credit for if she shows such prudent hesitation. Most women are unable to see past your polite facade and into your true, fiendish nature."

Eriol glared at him before taking Sakura's arm. "Sakura-san," he said, ignoring Syaoran. "You really should go visit Tomoyo-san some time today. She was really worried about you last night when you suddenly became sick."

Sakura felt her heart skip a beat at the topic Eriol had suddenly touched upon. She and Syaoran, after the initial awkwardness, had talked long into the night about her situation, but both of them had forged a silent agreement to avoid two topics too uncomfortable to discuss: their relationship, and Sakura's relationship with Syaoran's brother. "T-That's a very good idea, Eriol-kun. I'll talk to her soon. Thank you for reminding me. We're going to be late for weaponry if we don't hurry, aren't we?"

Syaoran remained silent, and Sakura bit her lip, obviously distressed. Eriol watched the both of them shrewdly, and for a moment she was scared that he would ask more questions, but mercifully he decided not to press. "Yes, we ought to hurry. Syaoran, you and I are in charge of getting the staffs out today, so we should get going."

The youngest Li brother turned his gaze back towards her wordlessly, but she waved him off. "You two go on ahead," she said, a note of relief in her voice. "I'll be fine on my own."

Syaoran frowned, but nodded. They left together.

The moment she could no longer see them, Sakura groaned and began to walk in the same direction, at a much slower pace. He hadn't asked her, at all, about her reasons for coming to the Academy last night. Or about why she reacted so strongly to seeing his brother. But he _had_ to know that something was off, that she was up to no good. Of course, she was grateful that he didn't ask, but still. It was driving her mad.

It was bad enough that he was acting strangely charitable without Sakura understanding why - but even _more_ pressing was the frantic, fluttering ache in her chest. It was strange that his opinion of her should matter more than whether or not he suspected she was going to murder his brother or not. But it _did_, and she was dying to know exactly _what_ their relationship was. Where did she stand with him? Syaoran had made it perfectly clear that he at least valued her as an important friend... but was there any more to that? Did she dare hope? Sakura was terrified of both possibilities. Her heart would be crushed if the answer was no… and her heart would be crushed if the answer was yes.

Why were things so difficult? The flimsy, uncertain truce that had settled over them did not do much to soothe her worries. It was simply delaying the inevitable – when she would complete her mission, and Syaoran would become disillusioned to the kind of sick person she actually was.

She was the kind of person who betrayed the trust of those closest to her. She was the kind of person who would use him to get close to his brother so that she could kill him. She was a girl so steeped in hate and revenge that she didn't deserve to even _have_ these kinds of feelings for him.

Sakura had always known that avenging her parents would be difficult… but now it was for reasons entirely different than what she had thought before.

There _had_ to be some solution… some midway ground that she could walk, so that the pain she would have to inflict on Syaoran would be minimal. Even if he never forgave her, and she deserved no less, he might walk away unscathed and unbroken. But that was impossible, of course. No matter how much he hated… Sakura shuddered, she knew his name now… Gaoran, it was not as if Syaoran wanted his eldest brother dead. The only way he would be left unhurt was if he stopped caring about her, but...

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut tight. She didn't want to think about it.

"Oi! Kino!!"

She turned at the sound of Andou's voice in relief, for once grateful for her loud, obnoxious friend's intrusion. It was the perfect distraction. "What is it, Andou? Yamazaki?" Sakura smiled softly. The two of them were always together; it was nice to have some small degree of normalcy after a night and morning full of abrupt changes.

"We have a treat today! They're combining weaponry and kenjutsu lessons because apparently there's a special guest at the Academy!" Andou explain eagerly before Yamazaki cut in.

"Did you know that our guest is supposed to be a legendary warrior from way up North?" the latter began. "Apparently, he's been living all by himself in the snowy mountains and has survived by killing mountain goats and eat-YEOWWCHH!!"

"That's enough, Yamazaki," his friend said, slapping him hard in the gut. "Now that I think of it, Kino, you probably already know don't you?"

Sakura laughed at the pair's antics, suddenly feeling much better. "No, why would I?"

"Oh? But Li and Hiiragizawa always hear about this kind of stuff first. The guest apparently arrived last night. You sure you didn't hear about it?" he asked as the three of them began walking in the direction of their class.

"Oh, well we were all gone for most of the day yesterday. Syaoran, Eriol, and I went out to the marketplace. Remember, they won the challenge for archery?" she reminded him. "Yamazaki, is our guest really that strange a warrior?"

Yamazaki seemed to brighten at her comment, and Andou doubled over, howling in laughter. "I always forget how gullible you are, Kino," he snorted, tears in his eyes.

"Eh?? Were you lying again Yamazaki?"

They were all laughing and chatting happily when they walked into the large, outdoor area the students usually used to train in staff-fighting. Sakura grinned broadly when she saw Syaoran, Eriol, and another man standing together, and she ran over to them elatedly.

She waved and opened her mouth to call out to Syaoran, but paused when she noticed the grim expressions on Syaoran and Eriol's faces. Her eyes took in Syaoran's cold stare, and when she drew even nearer, she was shocked by the alarmed look on his face as he saw her approaching.

Syaoran _never_ showed alarm. _Ever._

For him to be so concerned about something… Sakura could only think of one thing that could cause him to react so… tangibly. But that was impossible. It wasn't as if _**he**_would actually show up again so soon-

"A friend of yours, Syaoran?"

His low, genteel voice sounded so different from what she remembered… so far away. In the light of the courtyard and in the presence of so many friends and smiling, curious faces, it was hard to imagine that it was the same voice that had promised to kill _her_ so many months before. Sakura wondered if he had forgotten his vow. Would he even recognize her? At the very least, she would never forget his voice.

Her gaze slowly trailed upwards, towards his face. Sakura's memory did not fail her. His scar was every bit as grotesque as she remembered, and the rest of his features every bit as handsome. He looked like an older, crueler Syaoran, but with brown eyes, not amber. She emitted a low hiss she was sure he could not hear, and her upper lip curled in fury. He was so _close_… her sword was strapped to her waist… _so_ within reach. Every muscle in her body screamed for his blood.

Gaoran eyed her with interest, and he turned so that he was fully facing her. She emitted a low growl.

Syaoran's eyes flashed, and he stepped across them, his back towards Sakura, shielding them from each other's gazes almost protectively. Who he was trying to protect, however, Sakura wasn't sure. "I suppose. His name is Kino. Gaoran, _what_ do you think you're doing back here? I'm certain that I made it perfectly clear in my last letter that you are no longer welcome at the Academy. This is not your home anymore."

"Tsk tsk, Otouto-chan," a fifth person walked up to join their group. "This was mine and Gaoran's home before it ever was yours. Besides, you told _me_ that I was not welcome too, and yet here I am, as at ease as I was in my own days as a student. I don't think Nii-san will find it very difficult to stay, no matter what you say."

Sakura tensed even more and her eyes glazed over with fury. She _knew_ there was a reason for her malice towards Dairan. The repulsive man was in league with her parents' murderer. He had to be. Her hands balled into fists at her side, and she began to shake slightly with the weight of it all. The two of them had probably plotted together to kill her family.

"Oh excuse me, I hadn't seen you there, Kino-kun, Hiiragizawa-kun. How rude of me to subject you both to our family trifles," the suave manners master said charmingly, sweeping the both of them a slight bow, which only Eriol returned politely. Sakura's response was a bit more abrupt.

"What are _you_ doing here, sensei?" she bit out roughly.

"Yes, don't you usually have other classes to attend to during this time?" Eriol cut in smoothly, attempting to make Sakura's reaction seem less out of place. And it worked, as far as no one mentioning her behavior went. It was impossible, however, for anyone to be oblivious to the fact that she was emanating waves of intense loathing and anger.

"You two had better go talk to Yukito-san," Syaoran said suddenly. "Don't you have a presentation to make? He's right over there." Not bothering to wait for a response, he grabbed Sakura's wrist and forcefully towed her away, with a serious-looking Eriol following behind them.

"Eriol," he said quietly, once the three of them were alone again, standing a distance away from the rest of the students. "Do you mind leaving us alone for a minute?"

Eriol's mouth lifted into his customary grin, but Sakura noticed that it did not quite reach his eyes. "Say no more," he agreed before giving the two of them some space.

The fury had not yet subsided… her world still seemed a strange, livid shade of red, but now that she was no longer in such close proximity to the two eldest Li brothers, Sakura's breathing calmed somewhat. She forced herself to remember that it was not _Syaoran_ that she was upset with… it was that murderer, and the fact that she had been unable to take their heads on sight.

"What is it, Syaoran?" she asked in what was a painfully obvious counterfeit, nonchalant tone.

He glared darkly down at her, and Sakura felt a pang of guilt. She wasn't the only one who had been hurt by Gaoran; Syaoran didn't like him either. "I'm sorry for being so difficult," she murmured.

Syaoran continued to glare, but the tight lines of his face began to soften, just a little. "I do not intend on forcing you to tell me what you're planning," he began slowly. "I'll leave whether you ever tell me the truth up to you. _However_" Sakura winced at the angry emphasis. "Do not expect me to stand by idly whilst you go commit suicide. I may not know what your 'mission' is, but I do know this much. If you don't like Gaoran, you would be wise to not let it show too much, or you might find yourself facing death a bit earlier than you had originally planned."

Sakura nodded mutely, her violent emotions finally giving way to cold reason. Syaoran was right. If she was going to actually _get_ revenge for her parents' death, she would have to keep a cool head, and strike at the proper moment. What good would it do her if Gaoran already had his guard up whenever she got close to him? She'd already lost the advantage of anonymity; drawing any more attention to herself was out of the question. She was just lucky that he didn't seem to recognize her at all. Well, the less he remembered, the better for her.

"What kind of presentation are they doing?" she asked quietly. _T_hey had been standing a short distance away from everyone else, but the weapons master was calling everyone to the center of the courtyard, so they were forced to make their way over.

Syaoran frowned. "I'm not sure. I think it has something to do with the title of Lord at the hanamatsuri in spring, but I had not been aware that _he_ was going to be a part of it, if that is what you meant to ask." Sakura had the decency to blush at his refutation of her implied accusation.

"Syaoran," she said, a little desperately, tugging on his sleeve. He stopped walking, giving her his full attention. Her eyes automatically rose to meet his, but the moment they did she immediately regretted doing so. Her breath caught. His gaze was so gentle and warm... and _concerned_ for her. It made her insides churn. Whydid he have to actually care about her? "Syaoran," she whispered shakily. "Syaoran I don't-"

Suddenly, someone seized them by their arms and sat them down on the ground, hard. "Shh. Stop making such a scene and pay attention. Whatever you two need to discuss can wait for later," Eriol hissed, jerking his head in the direction of the four men standing at the front of the group.

Instinctively, Sakura hid herself from view as Gaoran's hard gaze swiveled towards their small trio. To her surprise, Syaoran, the person she had shuffled behind, made no objection. His only comment was to say, "Pay attention, Sakura."

She resisted the urge to shoot glares menacingly at Gaoran from behind her partner's back, and reluctantly turned her focus to what the weapons master was saying.

"As you all know, the selection of the Lord and Lady of the hanamatsuri is mostly based upon students distinguishing themselves among their peers. This event, suggested by Tsukishiro-sensei and headed by Li-sama, will give you that opportunity."

At Yukito-san's name, Sakura looked with surprise over at the kenjutsu instructor. Why would he choose the eldest Li brother, who was not even a teacher to lead the event? Her emerald eyes hardened when she noticed the tight, serious line his mouth was pressed into. There was something wrong.

"I'll just leave the introductions up to you, Li-sama," the weapons master finished, nodding at Gaoran.

Gaoran walked slowly forward, his eyes moving from student to student. As much as Sakura hated to admit it, he looked incredibly impressive, and even _with_ the ugly scar on his face, there was no denying the nobility in his features. He was a born leader. It was too bad "murderer" wasn't scrawled in dark, bold letters across his face. That, at least, would have given Sakura some satisfaction. "I am Li Gaoran, the oldest son of Li Yelan, the current mistress of this Academy." He spoke with an air of authority that made her shiver. With a quick glance at the rest of her friends, she could already tell that they were awed, and hanging on his every word.

She stared back at Gaoran, a bleak expression on her face. Such was the power and influence of the man she had sworn to kill.

Kami-sama couldn't have given her anyone _easier_ to get rid of?

"As your teacher just explained, I am in charge of an important occasion, which will begin tomorrow. Participation is mandatory," he continued in his deep, commanding voice. "This event is comprised of a series of challenges, ranging from basic skills such as horseback riding and sword fighting to more complex trials such as simulation battles as well as one final survival ordeal. You will receive instructions before each test, and will be given what I deem as 'enough time' to prepare. All of these challenges shall be judged by your teachers, which is why I have been asked to serve as the coordinator." His dark eyes pierced the crowd.

"Questions?"

There were none.

"These challenges are for all Academy students, which means that students both older and younger than you will also be participating. Everyone will be judged fairly, based upon his skill and completion of the assigned task, which means that you all have an opportunity to finally prove your worth to your fellow students and Northerners. An audience will be arriving soon, comprised of all the highest-ranking men and women in the nation, to come see the next generation of noblemen compete amongst each other. Do your Academy honor and the rewards shall be great," Gaoran stated, the edges of his mouth twitching up into the smallest of smirks.

"Show even a hint of cowardice and you shall feel the sting of _my_ blade. The first event is simple and begins tomorrow. There will be no need for preparation. Assemble in the riding field immediately after breakfast."

Having said all this, Gaoran's eyes once again sifted through the crowd before finally settling on Syaoran. Sakura hissed angrily and her hands clasped the back of Syaoran's gi tightly. She didn't like the way he was looking at Syaoran. The youngest Li, however, settled for glaring coldly back at his brother.

Gaoran's gaze never wavered. "Dismiss," he ordered, and slowly the boys around them began to get up and shuffle away, all of the talking excitedly about not only the challenges, but also the man who was to be in charge of them.

The trio stood to leave, and Sakura stretched, feeling much more at ease now that she was no longer occupied with forcing herself to _not_ blatantly send Gaoran optic arrows of death. The idea of a series of contests didn't bother her much; she fully expected either Syaoran or Eriol to win, and she would be cheering the both of them on the entire way.

"Li!"

Sakura's mood could not help but lighten a bit with interest when she saw Syaoran roll his eyes.

"Hey Li! You didn't tell us you had _another_ brother. How many are there anyways? Is he the last or are there _more_ family prodigies you're going to pull up out of no where?" one of the guys joked, falling in step with them lightheartedly.

"He's the last, unless you expect my mother to 'pull up another one out of no where'," Syaoran responded acidly.

The boy jumped and put up his hands in defense. "Whoa! I didn't say that! I didn't say that! Don't get so mad, Li! I'll just be going now…"

Eriol had a sudden fit of forceful coughs, as the poor student who had unwittingly incurred Syaoran's wrath ran away.

Sakura felt her mouth tilt upwards into a smile. "That wasn't very nice, Syaoran," she chided teasingly. "To think that he was actually brave enough to try and talk to you – did you really have to drive him off?"

"Didn't you have something to say to me?" he retorted indifferently. "Something you wanted to discuss?" His tone was casual, but Eriol caught the hint of his words and saluted the both of them before disappearing to somewhere else. Sakura watched him go with unease, marveling at how quickly and naturally he could make himself scarce.

"Well?" he turned back towards her, waiting. "We're finally alone now. What was it you wanted to talk about that we didn't cover last night?" his eyes caught hers. "Sakura?" he asked.

Sakura stared at him for a few, long moments, unable to quite process everything. She was bounding from emotion to emotion – from hate to love to laughter to misery to guilt to hate and to love all over again. What exactly _was_ it that she had been trying to tell him again?

"I believe your words were 'Syaoran, I don't – '?" he prompted, as if reading her mind.

Oh, _that_.

To her infinite surprise, pleasure, and bitter despair, he took her small hand in his large one and held it gently. Her stomach did the strange thing with the butterflies again. It was driving her crazy. Why couldn't she just be happy?

"I don't… understand," she said at last. "I don't understand why you are being so generous with me. Keeping my secret… _and_ not asking me what I plan on doing even though I already told you that I would be betraying you. What exactly is it that you're thinking? You understand the implications of what I'm telling you.. right?" There. She said it. Chewing her bottom lip, Sakura looked at him anxiously, waiting for his answer.

Syaoran was silent for a good few seconds as he eyed her shrewdly, which both baffled and put Sakura on edge. She had no way of knowing, however, that her partner was currently mulling over the indiscreet warning Eriol had given him before they'd reached the weaponry.

_"There's something more to Sakura than simply her gender, Syaoran." Eriol began hesitantly, watching carefully for Syaoran's reaction. _

_It wasn't the one he had expected. _

_"I know that, Eriol. She's told me herself that she intends to betray me," he responded coolly. _

_"And? Do you know what it is she plans to do?" his sapphire-eyed friend prompted impatiently. _

_"Not for sure, but I have a few guesses."_

_Eriol scowled. "You know that I like Sakura-san, and that I'm concerned for her well-being... but she's not the only person I'm worried about. Whatever she's up to, it's something so horrible that Tomoyo-san decided that she couldn't become emotionally attached to me because it would be cruel and wrong to do so. I'm warning you for you own good Syaoran. Keep a wary eye out... and if you can, stop her before she does something stupid."_

_"Are you saying that just for Daidouji's sake," Syaoran asked sarcastically. _

_"Fool!" Eriol frowned. "The one I'm worried about is you. Whether or not she's willing to realize it or not, I already plan to court and to win Tomoyo-san over, no matter what Sakura-san's role in our future is. Just remember what I said Syaoran. You're not going to like whatever our favorite female student is planning."_

He sighed, the decision he had reached sounding ridiculous even in his head. "Do you remain intent upon avoiding the same subjects as last night?"

Sakura debated for a moment before giving a noncommittal nod.

"Alright then…" he began to walk slowly again, and Sakura followed beside him, patiently.

"Because having you by my side is worth it, I suppose," he said, a wry smile on his face, as if he didn't even quite believe what he was saying. "Because I know that both revealing your secret and forcing you to tell me what your 'mission' is… either way, both options would cause you to leave my side, a result very much against my wishes."

She was dumbfounded. "That's it? All you want is for me to be by your side?"

"It is important to me that you stay by my side," Syaoran repeated.

"At least for now," she muttered unhappily under her breath.

He gave her a sidelong glance. "You are significant to me."

"How significant?" she whispered.

There was a pause. "I thought you didn't want me to go into topics we decided to avoid?" Syaoran reminded her, but even as he said those words, Sakura could feel her own desire for him to continue grow. "Broaching that subject would track onto dangerous territory, Sakura," he said, leaving the decision up to her.

The lip chewing began again. It was a bad habit she had to get rid of sometime, but for now it helped to somewhat alleviate her stress. Sakura knew he didn't hate her, that he thought of her at the very least as a precious friend, but did it truly stop there? She wanted him to love her… she didn't want him to love her… but **oh** if he _did_…

"Tell me," she said softly at last, giving into the sweet temptation. "Syaoran."

His amber eyes softened, and he took two steps, closing the distance between them, his gaze never leaving hers. For one moment, Sakura thought he was going to kiss her, right there in the middle of the open Academy grounds in perfect view of some stray student who might pass by, but he merely brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. "Later," he promised, the sound of his words low and reverberating, amber never leaving emerald. He gave her hand a squeeze.

Sakura groaned inwardly as the butterflies erupted once again. What had she gotten herself into?

She sighed resignedly as Syaoran dropped her hand, and broke away from her gaze to greet their approaching group of friends. Sakura only half-listened to their conversation as she idly played with the strands of hair in her high, samurai ponytail and allowed her gaze to roam over their surroundings.

Tree… tree… rock… what was Syaoran going to tell her later? Sakura felt nervous anticipation building up in the pit of her stomach; her eyes continued to scan the area around them. Stone path… tree… more trees… more rocks… dojo… Andou whacking Yamazaki over the head… Eriol smiling in a creepy way… strange wooden pole she never noticed standing there before… another tree... Gaoran and Dairan walking very quickly together and discussing something in low voices, looking extremely suspicious…

Sakura did a double take. Her hand automatically rose to grab onto Syaoran's gi to get his attention, but they met with empty air. "Syaoran?" she looked back in surprise, wondering where he had gone.

All the other boys stared at her as if she were crazy, and Yamazaki asked, "What're you spacing out for Kino? Li left a while ago when Eriol came to tell him something. Didn't you hear him say he'd see you later?"

"Haha…" Sakura laughed nervously, casting a frantic glance over in the direction of the two elder Li brothers. What was she going to do? There wasn't enough time to go call Syaoran… "Yeah, I guess I'm just a bit out of it today." She hadn't exactly _promised_ him not to do anything rash...

The two tall figures disappeared into the gap between two old-looking dojos, and she could no longer see them. A fresh wave of panic fell over her. She had to hurry!

"Can you guys excuse me? I think – uh, my stomach hurts so I just got to… go!" Sakura broke into a run, speedily threading her way between buildings and towards the alley she had seen Gaoran and Dairan enter. The other boys called after her in loud voices, but thankfully none of them followed.

Sakura was quick, but by the time she got to where she'd seem them last, there was no one there. Cursing under her breath lightly, she kept walking forward quietly, casting a quick glance behind her to make sure that no one was coming after her.

The path she had come upon was in the older section of the Academy, and students were rarely seen there. Sakura continued to scan the area warily, feeling more foolish with every passing second. What was she even _doing_ here? For all she knew, Gaoran and Dairan could have simply decided that today was a nice day for a whimsical, brotherly stroll. And even if they _were_ up to something suspicious Sakura now seriously doubted she would even be able to _find_ them.

She finally emerged from the alleyway into a clearing, but the sigh of relief Sakura had planned on releasing became lodged in her throat. She stood facing the old library, the one that regular students could only visit when given special permission by a teacher, unless they were first rank. The one that she had heard about from Eriol, but had never actually _seen_ before. So this was where the Academy hid its oldest records and documents.

There was no doubt in Sakura's mind that this was where the two men had gone, despite the fact that there were a few other buildings nearby. She just knew, and even if her hunch turned out incorrect, Sakura doubted that the curiosity searing through her bloodstream would have let her simply walk away from the ancient-looking building. Therefore, into the library it was.

The first step she took onto the wooden stairs leading to the building made Sakura cringe. Too much creaking! Quickly slipping her sandals off, Sakura carefully continued the rest of the way up and then slid the shoji door open just wide enough so that she could squeeze stealthily into the building.

The moment the door shut behind her, Sakura had been thrown into darkness. It took a good few minutes for her eyes to adjust so the young samurai was forced to stay where she was until they did. There were a few scattered windows, but nothing substantial enough to supply any real light. When she could finally see a little though, Sakura slowly began to make out dozens… no, maybe hundreds of rows of bookshelves, and even what she thought looked like a set of stairs. Adrenaline pumped excitedly through her veins.

She could hear neither Gaoran nor Dairan's voices, so maybe they _had_ gone to a different building. It didn't make too large of a difference anymore though. Her focus had successfully been redirected to the vast mysteriousness of the library she'd happened upon. Straightening from her crouching position, Sakura made her way around the old, wooden shelves, lamenting the fact that she hadn't brought any candles with her. Squinting, she paused by one stack of books and lifted the top one from the pile. There was no way she could make out any of the writing, but Sakura decided to flip through the pages anyways.

As soon as she opened the book, her nose scrunched in recoil to the massive amount of dust that lifted off the old paper. Bad idea. It would be wiser to stick with exploring.

Since she could see no trace of the two brothers, Sakura relaxed and began walking up and down and along the aisles eagerly, inspecting everything as best as she could through the darkness. "This is a wonderful building, probably full of old and ancient things just waiting to be discovered. I wonder why the Academy chose to let it fall to such disarray," Sakura mused aloud to herself as she crept up the stairs onto the second story.

From up here the emerald-eyed female could really appreciate how _large_ the old library was. It was much bigger than the one the students had access to, and Sakura guessed that this was probably where the Academy kept all of its old archives. With a start, Sakura wondered if she could possibly find records of her own father's stay here at the Academy in this very library.

The second floor looked very much the same as the first floor except that there were a few tables and chairs spacing the shelves apart here and there. Sakura scanned the entire berth of her surroundings, deciding that she would return later with some light. There was little point to being in a library if she couldn't even _see_ anything.

Yet just as she was about to turn to leave, her emerald eyes froze upon a small hint of candlelight coming from the far end of the second story. Her heart pounded loudly within her chest. Sakura thanked Kami-sama that she hadn't made any real noise earlier.

As quietly as she could, Sakura made her way across the floor, her wooden sandals still in her hand. She went as close as she dared, which was until only one shelf separated her from the low voices she recognized as belonging to Gaoran and Dairan. Placing a trembling hand against her chest, Sakura willed herself to stay calm. Being caught was not an option, so she would have to stay level-headed and _concentrate_.

The books in the shelf in front of her were spaced so that there were a few gaps she could peek through, but even still Sakura couldn't see either of the brothers. They were enough to hide her from view, but…

Very carefully and very slowly Sakura crouched down and manipulated a few books on the lower shelves around until she had a semi-decent view of the two brothers. She let out a silent sigh of satisfaction. Sakura was confident that from the low angle she was staring up at them from, neither of them would be able to see her.

Taking a deep breath, she pressed her face to the small gap she had created and her emerald eyes stared up at the two men sitting across the table from each other, their faces illuminated by the flickering of the small fire.

"What do you _mean_ you didn't find it?" Dairan hissed angrily at his brother.

Even in the darkness, Sakura could perceive the cold malice of the murderer's glare, and a shiver ran down her spine as he lashed out. "Keep your insolent tongue still, Dairan," Gaoran growled. "The scroll I went after was not _there_. Your information was wrong."

"There was no mistake," Dairan muttered quietly, the expression on his face calculating. "Someone must have taken it away… or maybe they gave it to someone without realizing its value. No, no that's not possible. The family was not made up of brainless fools; the father at least must have realized what it was."

His brother cracked his knuckles absentmindedly. "It was not in his study or in the entire, filthy library. I spent an entire week searching through even all the concealed rooms and spaces in the house and even stole one of the old blueprints to see if there was any place to… well, it is of no consequence. I am sure that the pathetic noble did not have it, because he did not hand it over even when I slowly murdered his wife in front of him. He kept saying that he didn't know anything about Clow's technique. It's likely with the son. Find him."

Dairan pounded his fist on the table loudly. "How many times do I have to tell you that I cannot find him just like _that_?" he snapped his fingers for emphasis. "The son is supposed to be a very skilled spy, do you honestly think that this is a matter than can be cleared up within a few weeks? If he is nearby then I will have him tracked down within a month, but for all we know he could be as far away as Hokkaido!"

Gaoran moved with incredible speed, and within a half second he had his brother hanging in midair by the collar of his gi. "Do not throw tantrums at _me_, Dairan. Gathering information is your area of expertise, not mine." The two brothers glared at each other, but after a few more seconds, Gaoran let Dairan down.

"You're sure that none of the servants were hiding it?" Dairan questioned, reseating himself in a chair.

Sakura felt her pulse quicken at the indifference on both brothers' faces as they continued to talk, as if nothing had happened. They treated death threats and violent outbursts with alarming apathy. Syaoran had been right. They were both insane... and what more, they were looking for Clow's scroll. She felt a sudden rush of empathy for the family they had mentioned. It reminded her of what Gaoran had done to her own parents, and it sent a shiver of bitter rage through her, strengthening her resolve.

"No, I'm sure none of them had even heard of the name, Clow. But…" Gaoran paused. "There _was_ another member of the main family that escaped."

"_What_? You actually let someone go _alive_, Gaoran?" Dairan fumed. "And you dare show your face here."

"Relax, brother. It was merely the daughter, and she already ran away months ago. I had the estate searched long before that. Besides, a woman does not know how to swing a sword, and such a scroll would be meaningless to her. It is likely that she simply went into hiding to preserve her life. No matter, I will find her and kill her before long."

There was an eerie silence, and Sakura could dimly make out that a strange expression passed over Dairan's eyes… as if something had clicked. "It's her, Gaoran," he said with sudden understanding. "It's the girl. She has it."

"Have you lost your mind Dairan? She is a woman."

"You didn't search her room, did you?" his brother continued, ignoring Gaoran's dismissal. "Because you didn't know. My spies reported to me that the son had inherited his father's sword technique before he left. He wasn't the one with the scroll. But the _daughter_ had been taught kenjutsu too! Don't you remember me mentioning it? She learned the basics of sword fighting from her father, but the reports stated that she was learning something else, something different. I thought nothing of it at the time, but-"

"Impossible."

"It is _not_. Your own prejudice against women has blinded you, Gaoran. It is the girl we are now after. She must be the inheritor of Clow's technique, there's no mistake. You searched everywhere _but _her room, correct? Not even the servants were hiding it?"

Gaoran's ground his teeth. "The scroll was _not_ in the house. It is true that the daughter's is the only room I left unearthed, but no matter what your spies say, a woman can not possibly inherit Clow's technique. It would not only be madness, but a waste. I still remember that girl now. She held a sword in her hand, but she lacked the legendary skill that is supposed to come from the scroll we're searching for. She-" He stopped suddenly, as if recalling something.

"No..." he said at last. "There was a moment when she showed a bit of skill. I remember now. That wench is the one responsible for _this_!" He held up his right hand to the light, baring his short stub of a middle finger for his brother to see.

Sakura had to muffle a scream. They were talking about her! About her family! The people he had murdered were her parents! The son they were searching for was Touya! The daughter they just realized had the scroll was _her_! Cold sweat broke out across her face and down her neck. She trembled as quietly as she could on the floor.

Wasn't it terrible enough she had to hear this disgusting conversation? Did they really have to be talking about her family? About killing her parents? And _now_ they would be searching for her and for the scroll she'd never realized was actually Clow's technique?!

"Did you hear something?" Gaoran asked, his eyes scanning the darkness of the library.

"That _girl_ cut off your finger?" Dairan echoed in disbelief, his eyes fixed on the missing digit.

The library remained silent, and so reluctantly Gaoran's gaze returned to his brother's. "Yes, you imbecile. She was a woman, and I was caught off guard."

"Are you sure that was all it was? No extraordinary skill? No hint of Clow?" Dairan pressed eagerly. "She must have the second half of the technique Gaoran, she must!"

His brother's expression was cold. "If you insist. I know not if she has learned the second half of the technique. It is not important. Find her for me and I will kill her. What is her name?"

"Kinomoto…" he answered. "Kinomoto… something. Sakura, likely. I will look into it."

Gaoran nodded. "That is fine. Have you found _our_ half of the Clow scroll yet, Dairan? You have had ample time."

His brother smirked. "There are many libraries and hidden chambers in the Academy, Gaoran, yet I seemed to have faired a bit better than you. It is here."

Both Gaoran and Sakura, who had incidentally recovered her senses, stared at him with impatience, waiting for him to reveal the scroll.

"_Where_ is it?" Gaoran growled. "Do not play tricks with me."

Dairan swept his arms grandly around in the air. "It is here. In this very library. I am certain."

Gaoran growled angrily, and his younger brother held his hands up defensively. "I've been very busy supplying _you_ with all the information you needed, you know. I think I've done a pretty decent job. I'll have the scroll by the end of this week."

"The end of this week? This library is _massive_, Dairan," Gaoran snarled. "We still have to find the swords as well. What leads have you on _those_?"

Dairan's eyes flashed. "Patience, I said, my brother. Without the technique the swords will be useless. We still have time. Besides, our third link has yet to be convinced."

"Syaoran," Gaoran exhaled. Sakura exhaled too when she heard her partner's name. Kami-sama, what where they planning?

"Yes, I am surprised he has put up so much resistance," Dairan muttered, irritated. "Now that Father has died, you are our new head so he must play the part of the sword."

An amused smirk appeared on Gaoran's face. "Patience, Dairan. You remain our Spy and I can remain our Assassin for a while longer. I need not take the spot of King until Syaoran agrees to join our little group. Then, when we finally take over, he may retire to his intended position, the General."

Sakura resisted the urge to scream, again. The fury was rising again within her. She seriously considered whether attacking them now would be effective. They were Syaoran's brothers, older and stronger. It was impossible for her to beat them in a pure match of skill, but if she struck now, she had the element of surprise. Her hand reached tentatively for the hilt of her sword.

_NO! _Her mind clawed angrily at her in protest. Every fiber of her being urged her to leap out and take revenge, but a smaller, detached voice in her head told her that committing suicide now would mean that all she had suffered would have been for nothing. Sakura bit her lip so hard that it drew blood. Not just for her parents, but to protect Syaoran from whatever sick schemes they were planning... she would wait.

"This is all, of course, pointless unless you recover the key," Gaoran glared at his brother again.

"It is unimportant. Taken to the correct blacksmith, that small obstruction will be cleared away in no time."

Unconsciously, Sakura's hand rose to close around the heavy metal weight that hung around her neck. _This_ was the key they were talking about? The one she had stolen from Dairan.

"I need to get going," Dairan said finally, rising from the table. "And don't you have some coordinating to do, overseer? It was difficult to get you this position so don't waste it. Damn to the deepest hell that Tsukishiro and his stubbornness. He refused to let anyone but Yue oversee the competition, and forced me to use up some of my most valuable connections to get you this spot. Keep watch for the boys you think will be useful to us, Gaoran. Don't waste this opportunity. It cost much more than it was worth."

"Your nagging irritates me Dairan."

Sakura held very still as both brothers stood and walked past her, the candle in Dairan's hands.

"What plans do you have for convincing Syaoran? It is inevitable that he see our view, of course, but if the idiotic ideals his mother has pounded into him drags on for much longer…"

Their words began to fade away as they left, and after a few moments Sakura could hear the creak of zouri on stairs. She felt a surge of pride for the ideals Syaoran's mother had pounded into him. If they were what kept him from turning into a man like _them_…

Sakura waited until she was sure they were both outside of the library before she stood up rapidly. Unfortunately, the ends of some scrolls must have been sticking out of the bookshelf above her because her head hit something hard, and a thick scroll fell to the floor.

"Itai!" she yelped, rubbing her bruised head soothingly. She bent down to pick up the scroll and replace it on the shelf above when she heard the door of the library open again. Immediately, she tucked the scroll into the folds of her gi and crouched on the floor, crawling quickly and quietly to hide behind a shelf closer to the stairs to see who it was. Perhaps Gaoran or Dairan again...

Whoever it was, he wasn't afraid of being caught because she could clearly hear the sound of running footsteps as the person moved around the first floor. Sakura strained her neck to see, but she couldn't pinpoint where the intruder was. A few minutes passed, and Sakura was still deciding her course of action when the sound of the intruder bounding up the stairs could be heard.

Sakura strained to see who it was, but she couldn't make out any faces in the darkness. Instead, all she could make out was a dark figure running in and out among all of the aisles of bookshelves. Who was he and what was he doing? It took her far too long to realize that if he continued the way he was searching for whatever he was looking for, sooner or later, whether he was looking for _her_ or not, he would definitely **find her**.

Sakura panicked and looked around for any paths of escape. The bookshelves were too uniform and too close together for her to hide anywhere else. She could try and hide under a table, and yet if the intruder _was_ looking for her, he'd sure check there, and she couldn't run down the stairs without making noise… Looking up, a sudden idea hit her.

Carefully and quietly, Sakura stepped on a layer of books and grabbed hold of one of the wooden platforms of the shelves before for hoisting herself up. It was simple. She would hide herself on top of the bookcase until he passed by.

What she didn't count on, however, was how fast the intruder could run. Sakura had to climb slowly to keep her _and_ the bookshelf's balance, but the figure was closing in with rapid speed. He was just two aisles away. Sakura continued to climb.

One shelf away. Sakura's hand grabbed hold of the top of the bookcase. _In her aisle!!_ With a great push from her leg, she prepared to swing herself over to the top… but her hand slipped, causing her to fall, screaming onto the dark figure she hadn't had time to identify.

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA…. I had actually been planning on writing more… but I must admit, someone suggested to me that cliffy's would produce better REVIEW results… so I decided to give it a try? If you want me to make it juice you better REVIEW!**

**REVEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pretty please?**

kami-sama – God

otouto – younger brother

onii-san – older brother

okaa-san – mother

hanamatsuri – flower festival

kenjutsu – sword fighting

itai – ouch

zouri – wooden sandals


	19. In Stupefied Surprise

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Let's see… it's one in the morning and I'm high on coffee. Enough said. **

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Nineteen**

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Instead of landing painfully on her back, Sakura's fall was cushioned by something warm – a human body. Her head was still reeling from the sudden, hard impact, but she forced herself to focus. She'd just fallen on the man she'd tried to hide from!

Taking advantage of her human cushion's surprise (and awkward, sprawling position on the floor), Sakura pushed herself upright and tried to make a break for it.

The intruder's hand clasped around her wrist. "Agh! Wait! Sakura – it's me!"

Sakura froze, staring down at him in surprise. "Syaoran?"

"Yes, you heavy idiot, Syaoran. If I were either of my brothers, someone's sword would have been out long before now." He groaned, slowly getting up from the dusty ground and glaring up at her. "What were thinking, coming in here all by yourself?"

"Did you… just call me heavy?" Sakura repeated slowly, willing her panicked heart to calm down. Just half a minute ago… no, was it even that long? She'd been sure that she was a goner.

Her partner merely stared at her in amusement before sighing. "Sakura, are you okay? Do not forget to breathe; what is wrong with you?" He shook her by the shoulders gently. "Wake up."

"Syaoran…" she released the breath she had been holding. "I thought I was going to get caught." Without thinking, Sakura took two steps forwards and allowed her spinning head to rest against his chest. She felt him stiffen under her, but it took her a few good seconds to realize what she had done.

"S-Sorry!" Sakura backed away from him quickly, her face aflame. To her astonishment, Syaoran did not admonish her, but instead grabbed hold of her wrist. It was really a good thing that it was too dark to see anything too clearly; her face was far too red.

"We should leave now," he said, turning on his heel and walking away. Sakura had no choice but to follow, not that she _minded_ that his hand was conveniently clasped around hers.

"How did you know that I was here?" she asked slowly, still staring at their connected limbs in numbed shock.

Gaoran and Dairan had been holding a secret meeting, which she snuck in on... then when she'd come out of hiding a fourth person - Syaoran, had entered the library, but she'd hadn't known it'd been him so she climbed to the top of a bookcase to hide. Then she'd fallen and landed on him... so why where they holding hands again?

A mischievous part of her mind itched to intertwine her fingers with his… but Sakura snuffed that urge out firmly. Now was not the time.

She shivered a little, remembering the conversation between the two Li brothers. They had talked about her parents with such cold, indifferent tones - Sakura felt queasy and lonely. She was only grateful that Touya hadn't been home when Gaoran had come to steal the scroll. At least she still had a sibling.

"Are you cold?" he asked gently.

Sakura shook her head, and Syaoran seemed satisfied. "When I returned Yamazaki informed me that you'd suddenly run off in this direction, and so I followed you," he said, answering her question. "I would not have bothered, but he also mentioned that Gaoran and Dairan had also disappeared into the same alley, so I assumed that you were attempting to spy on them. A foolish endeavor." He glared at her hard, and Sakura could only smile at him sheepishly. "At the very least you should have come to get me first. My brothers are forces to be reckoned with - and dangerous. Do not forget that."

Sakura resisted the impulse to snort at his ironic statement. There was no need for _him_ to tell her how dangerous his brothers were. She knew all too well.

"Now it is my turn to ask a question," he said. "Where exactly did you _come_ from? Or is it simply one of your hobbies to materialize out of thin air to land on unsuspecting persons who might be standing underneath you."

"Oh that," Sakura blushed, feeling embarrassed at her own stupidity. "I couldn't see who you were, so I tried to climb to the top of the shelf and hide there… except I slipped."

"You _slipped_?" He mouthed in slight disbelief. "You _slipped_? Kami-sama, I'm not sure whether you are inherently inept or-" Syaoran drew a ragged breath, running his free hand through his dark brown hair. "Sakura, you had best be grateful that it was _I_ and not someone else who had been looking for you."

"Yes, yes," she muttered. "I _know_."

"Promise me you won't do something so reckless again," he ordered.

She winced. "Reckless meaning...?"

This time there was a sliver of impatient anger in his voice. "Sneaking off to shadow members of my family would definitely top that list," he hissed. "Don't do it again. At least not alone."

"So I have permission to spy on your family if I bring a friend?" she asked sarcastically.

"_Sakura_," he growled warningly.

Part of her told her to just agree and be done with it. Syaoran was obviously not backing down anytime soon, and what was the hurt of one more lie when she'd already fed him so many much more severe ones? It was a necessary lie. There was no reason for her to hesitate. Yet the other half of her searched frantically for a loophole, some sort of half-truth she could offer him. It was impractical, unreasonable, and maybe even a bit selfish, but a part of Sakura wanted desperately to not add to her already long list of lies. Even if he'd hate her after her betrayal, she wanted the satisfaction of at least knowing that she'd been honest to him as a person, that he could at least trust _some _of what she was to him.

"Why does it even matter?" she spat out in a rush, not really realizing what she was saying. "Even if I'm the only female student in a military academy full of males, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I don't need you looking after me like some cranky old nursemaid!"

There was a sudden, still silence. Almost immediately, Sakura wished to the high heavens to just be able to take her words and shove them back down her throat.

"I- um, I didn't mean that," she said meekly. "I know you're just worried about me, but..." Her words trailed off in uncertainty.

"Shall I address each and every one of your questions then?" he asked in a surprisingly tight voice. Sakura stared up at him, alarmed at his pained tone.

"Syaoran-"

"First question," he interrupted her smoothly. "Why does it matter? Why do you _think_ it matters? Why do you _think_ I care?!" he burst out in an abrupt, uncharacteristic manner. His facial expression contorted with the colossal effort it took for him to remain in control.

Finally he growled, "Sakura."

"Yes?" she asked hesitantly.

"You asked me earlier how important you were to me," he remarked slowly, his eyes staring straight ahead at the path in front of them as they stepped out of the library. Sakura shivered again as the cool, night air hit her warm skin, but this time Syaoran did not say anything. They continued to walk out into the open courtyard and past some buildings.

"Yes," she answered quickly, realizing where this was going. This was it. His answer. _Her_ answer.

Syaoran seemed to struggle again a bit, but at last his eyes softened and gazed gently down at her. Her heart skipped a beat as, in accordance with her earlier wishes, he laced his fingers with hers, intertwining them. "To me," he began in a strangely gruff voice. "To me, you are-"

"SYAORAN! KINO! DUCK!!"

Immediately, Syaoran lunged, grabbing onto Sakura, and forced her to the ground with him on top as something whizzed by in the air and landed with a loud thud several feet away from their sprawling bodies. It was Eriol's voice. With lightening speed, the youngest Li heir was standing again with his sword unsheathed, ready to face whatever danger dared approach him.

"Eriol-san! What is it?" Sakura gasped, getting to her feet as quickly as she could manage. She spared the object that had landed on the ground one terrified glance. It was a stone-tipped arrow. "What… who…?" she mumbled quietly in shock as Syaoran pulled her behind him roughly, shielding her from the figure that was coming towards them to the front. Behind them, Eriol ran up, a furious expression on his face.

"What're you trying to do, Gaoran?" Syaoran snarled. Sakura's head whipped around and her eyes fell on the scar-faced man's cruel sneer. Her pulse quickened. Had he found her out? For one terrified moment she was back in her parent's room, staring up into their murderer's wooden eyes again. She was paralyzed – but just for a moment. A second later _her_ sword was drawn and she was glaring threateningly at their attacker with even more malice than Syaoran.

"Don't get so upset, Otouto," Gaoran answered lightly, his hands held up. In his right hand was the bow he had used to shoot the arrow at them. His other was empty, and he seemed to have no quiver. Other than the plenty lethal sword strapped to his waist, he was weaponless. "I was merely trying to see how your training has come along. Your reflexes are as impeccable as ever. I'm pleased."

"_Why_ do _you_ have to be pleased about his skill? Syaoran doesn't need _you_ to test him," Sakura hissed angrily, the hairs on the back of her neck rising. She was suddenly reminded of Gaoran's plan for his youngest brother - and it made her sick. As if she would ever allows Syaoran to be tainted by this sick man's influence.

His brown eyes narrowed and Gaoran looked at her from past Syaoran's shoulder appraisingly. "But you _do_ seem to have gotten a bit softer, haven't you Syaoran? Dairan tells me you've become rather attached to this tiny little burden… that he's slowing you down. Shall I talk to Mother for you? Do you want to be assigned a different partner? Hiiragizawa-kun would be much more appropriate for someone like you."

"I'll show _you_ who's a burden-" Sakura began, taking a furious step forward, but a hand closed over her shoulder firmly, keeping her back. She looked up in surprise at Eriol, who, though he seemed just as livid as she felt, shook his head at her. For a moment she actually considered shaking him off and stomping over to Gaoran to give him a peace of her mind, but the more rational part of her took over. Now was not yet the time. Rather unwillingly, Sakura sheathed her sword and crossed her arms over her chest, muttering angrily under her breath.

Eriol glared at Gaoran. "Your arrow was aimed at _Kino_. Is that your idea of alleviating Syaoran's 'burden' for him?"

The eldest Li brother shrugged. "That boy is a dead weight."

"Don't try to act the part of big brother now, Gaoran," Syaoran said coldly, lowering his weapon as well. "It doesn't suit you. And don't bother meddling in my affairs; I haven't become _soft_. You will see that with your own eyes tomorrow, when the competition begins."

Gaoran's lips lifted over his teeth in a feral grin. "I look forward to it, Otouto. The offer still stands. The time draws near for you to join us, Syaoran. You cannot escape the destiny that's inscribed in your blood."

Sakura saw red. Another moment and she wouldn't be able to hold herself back. Trembling out of anger, she grabbed Syaoran's arm and began to pull him away, unable even to look back at his older brother. Her blood boiled and her lip bled with the force of her teeth digging into flesh.

Mercifully Syaoran obliged her, which saved Sakura the chore of having to try and forcefully drag him away. He, too, was livid and had looked as if he had wanted to say more, but could feel how thin Sakura's control was stretching.

The trio was headed in the general direction of the main hall where dinner would begin soon, but Sakura didn't have an appetite. As soon as the lamp-lit front entrance came into view, she released Syaoran's arm and just stood there, her chest still heaving from pent-up fury. Syaoran remained motionless beside her.

Eriol regarded the both of them quietly before saying, "It is a good thing that I went looking for the both of you. Gaoran wasn't aiming to kill, but you still would have gotten badly injured, Sakura-san." He placed a hand on her shoulder.

Sakura relaxed at his kind touch, something inside of her slowly but surely uncoiling. "Thank you, Eriol-san," she murmured. Looking over at Syaoran she asked, "Are you okay?"

He clenched and unclenched his fist. "I'm fine," Syaoran muttered.

The uncomfortable silence resumed. "Well, I'm off to dinner, anyone else hungry?" Eriol said conversationally, gesturing towards the large building. "I hear tonight they're serving lobster – wouldn't want to miss that."

"You go on ahead, Eriol. I need a word with Sakura," Syaoran said, straightening. "Unless you're hungry?" he asked her, almost in afterthought.

"No," she answered in the same, heavy tone. "Actually, I needed to talk to you as well. Please go on ahead, Eriol-san, and thank you for saving my life today!" She waved their sapphire-eyed friend off cheerfully, but the moment he was no longer in sight, all pretenses of merriment disappeared.

"Come on," he told her. They walked rather quickly back towards their dojo, both keeping a careful lookout for anyone _else _who might want to 'test Syaoran's improvement'.

"What was it you wanted to a talk about?" Sakura asked when they reached their home.

Syaoran remained silent for a good minute before saying, "Tell me what you wanted to say first."

"I wanted to tell you about what I heard your two brothers discussing in that old library," she answered, conflicted. She wanted to tell him about the Clow scrolls and she also wanted to ask him about their 'plan' for him, but she _also_ wanted him to finish what he had begun earlier. _To me, you are_...

"You actually eavesdropped on them then," Syaoran repeated, more to himself than to her.

Sakura bit her lip. "Yes… I heard a lot too."

Syaoran stared at her, scowling. "Tell me, _why _is it that you're still alive?"

"Will you stop that?" she said, frowning. "Why do you always have to be so cynical?"

"Because there's every reason to be," he shot back, almost menacingly.

"What do you _mean-_"

"I mean exactly that. Unless you have reason to believe otherwise?"

Sakura fumed. "You're in an elite Academy surrounded by people who respect and admire you. You're here, you're healthy, and you're _you_. What is there _not_ to be happy about?"

He scowled. "Shall I enumerate? The country's torn by civil war, another fifteen men of our men were killed in a skirmish not four days ago because _my_ reinforcements didn't make it to the battlegrounds on time, word has it that the South plans to march into the North in full invasion soon, and as if I hadn't enough to think about with _Dairan_ back, _Gaoran_, the insane cold-blooded psychopath who happens to also be my _brother_, has come to the decision that it is now time to come and interfere in my life! And what more you-!"

"And I _what_?" she whispered, her eyes gleaming in the dimly-lit room. "Yes, why don't we just add _me_ to your list of already colossal mound of reasons to hate life!" She was shouting now, the weight of all that had happened so suddenly – from finding Gaoran, to learning of his connection to Syaoran, to so many other things... – all of these things roused a tumult of emotions and thoughts within her. "That's right! That's _exactly_ how you should feel about me. I've been telling you, have I not? You ought to know that I am your number-one headache! I'm supposed to be your _friend_, but instead I-I" Sakura swallowed furiously the tears that threatened to spring from her eyes.

What was wrong with her? She wasn't even angry at Syaoran and so why was she saying things like this? He was so actively involved in the war, so directly affected by the battle between the North and the South, and she had never known. Lost fifteen men? It wasn't his fault! Her worry for him lodged heavily in her chest. Sakura wanted nothing more than to take him into her arms and soothe him and then support him in everything, so that he could be happy. She wanted so much _good_ for him, and yet she was doing the exact opposite.

Sakura was so lost in her panicked thoughts that she didn't notice Syaoran reach for her. He trapped her in one-armed hug suddenly, pulling her against himself almost forcefully as he tilted her chin up with his right hand.

Her heart leapt up to her throat. "Syaoran?" she asked quietly, the strength in her voice evaporating into nothingness at the intense look in his eyes. He looked torn – undecided, as if a war raging inside of him, instead out on the battlefields. Amber eyes continued to smolder, as they remained fixed upon her, unmoving.

"And then _you_," he continued in a clipped tone that made her flinch. "You have to go and add to my worries by doing something so **foolish** as to spy on my brothers _alone_ - and then have the nerve to ask me _why_ I am displeased."

Sakura inhaled a deep, shaky breath.

"This is all your fault, you know," he growled lowly. Sakura felt a sudden shock of thrill coarse through her bloodstream. "If you want me to stop, you had better tell me _now_."

To the utter surprise of both parties, Sakura did not even bother to wait. Her body moved automatically, without the consent of even her own mind or of Syaoran. She wrapped her arms around his neck, lifted onto the very tiptoes of her feet, and kissed him.

It did not take much more than that. Within the next few seconds, Syaoran was already crushing her to him and kissing her back much more fiercely, with Sakura clinging desperately to him all the while. She was so lost in his kiss, in his embrace – the feel of his lips moving against her, the scorching heat of his arms wrapped around her body. She didn't even notice as he swept her up into his arms and carried her to his room. Her eyes were shut the entire way and her focus pinpointed solely upon the impossibly potent friction between their lips.

When they _did_ finally separate to breathe, however, Sakura's face was flushed, and her emerald eyes were fixed upon his amber ones. With some small bit of satisfaction, she noted that he seemed just as out of breath as she was. It took an entire half-minute for her to realize the change of their surroundings. They were both kneeling on the tatami floor of his room. "Syaoran," she panted, a stain of red creeping into her cheeks.

Roughly, he pulled her to him, so that her head was leaning comfortably against his chest. He tilted her chin upwards and kissed her once again. It would be another few, long minutes before they resurfaced, but when they did, Syaoran sighed with masculine satisfaction.

"What?" Sakura gasped, slightly annoyed by both his haughty expression and her own winded speech.

Syaoran continued to stare intently down at her. There was something in his eyes that Sakura didn't recognize, but it made the butterflies in her stomach buzz around furiously and her cheeks grow hot. "S-Stop looking at me like that," she mumbled, tearing her eyes from his and gazing nervously around the room.

She felt Syaoran shift underneath her slightly, but he settled himself quickly, with her back to his chest and his arms circled around her, keeping her warm. Sakura couldn't keep herself from exhaling in contentment. Something hot grazed the side of her throat, over and over, and with a start Sakura realized that he had moved her hair to the side and was planting kisses up and down her tingling neck.

"S-Syaoran!" she shrieked turning around to face him, only to find herself drowning in another passionate lip-lock. Sakura giggled against his lips as he reached behind her head and loosened her hair tie so that her long, auburn tresses fell down, tickling her cheeks. He smiled against her mouth and pressed his lips against hers swiftly once more before pulling away.

His fingers laced through some of the hairs framing her face and he gazed gently down at her. "I like your hair when it's down," he murmured, his deep voice reverberating soothingly in her ears. "And I think I like it better than that black-haired wig you wear when you go out into the open as Tsukishiro Sakura."

Sakura smiled. "You should have seen it before I cut it. It's a shame boys aren't allowed to have pretty hair." She reached up to touch a few strands of his dark brown bangs. "Yours looks nice though."

He took hold of the hand that was touching him and immediately she became nervous again.

"Sakura," he said seriously. "You asked me earlier how important you were to me."

Sakura felt an anxious tremor shiver down her spine and she looked away from him, nodding mutely. This was it. The moment she had been anticipating… dreading… Why couldn't time just stop for the two of them, right then and there? She was happy, happier than she'd been in so long. He had her in his arms, and for all she knew he felt the same way she did about him. But as soon as he said something – no matter what his answer was, things were surely bound to change. She would be rejected, would be accepted… but both options were disastrous! And yet – she couldn't bring herself to stop him. She wanted to know, _needed _to know, was too scared to know…

"No, look at me, Sakura," Syaoran said gently, once again grasping hold of her chin and forcing her to look up at him. The sheer _passion_ in his gaze – was that love? – made her feel dizzy and drunk with… with something she'd never felt before.

"I can't say that I love you Sakura," he said quietly, his arms tightening around her immediately as she fought to pull away. "No wait! Listen! Let me finish."

Sakura trembled with the force of it all. He didn't love her. He didn't love her. It was as simple as that. Sakura wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. Her face crumpled and angry tears fought to the corners of her eyes. No, that wasn't true. She was in so much pain right now because she _had_ been expecting something. She'd been such a fool.

"Sakura please! Don't shut me out now," he shook her slightly, hugging her even tighter than before. "It is not that I _don't _love you. The truth is, I simply don't know."

Rather unwillingly, her flailing limbs stopped struggling and she turned to stare at him silently.

Encouraged by her lack of resistance, Syaoran continued. "I understand that I care for you - deeply, and yet whether or not that emotion is love, I simply cannot say. I do not know. I do not believe that I am capable of tying myself down in so permanent, vulnerable a manner," he explained to her, all the while his hold on her never loosening. "And yet everything else seems to be telling me otherwise. My mind demands that all such foolish talk of love and of attachment cease immediately, and yet my chest churns with pain at the very thought of you sneaking off into danger alone." He gave a ragged sigh. "You cannot possibly know how conflicted I feel right now."

Sakura said nothing. _Oh, if only he knew..._

"I have attempted," Syaoran admitted. "On several occasions to push you away - to hate you, ignore you, and just give up this... _thing_, and yet I have failed on every occasion." A sliver of admiration slipped into his tone. "Every time I attempt to do so, you manage to claw your way back, and at those times I was again at a loss and completely confused – all over again. Tell me, what is this that I am feeling for you?" He tilted her chin upwards and kissed her mouth softly. "Does this constitute love? In my head I deny it. Love is so self-sacrificing, _exposed_ an emotional tie that I believe my capabilities fall short of obtaining it. Yet I cannot deny that I care about you, and as more than a friend. You are no Mei Ling."

At the mentioning of his fiancée's name, Sakura's eyes widened a fraction. She was more than a Mei Ling.

"You have my care and my affection," he struggled for the right words. "But it is not love... Though I understand love between friends and family, the sort of intimacy, which comes from giving all of yourself to another person, one whom you as perfect for you – it is the stuff of Tanabata fairytale. But is that good enough for you? Is this me, not whole and impaired, enough?"

His breathing was uneven and Sakura could feel the irregular thump of his heart pounding within his chest behind her. It was strange, but that loud, throbbing pulse in his chest seemed to resound in perfect unison with hers.

"I give up. I've tried everything," he murmured into her hair and he rested his chin on top of her head. "I realized the night we got back from the marketplace… when I accidentally let it slip that I knew you were a girl…" Syaoran inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet, flowery scent that was Sakura, _his_ cherry blossom. "When you looked at me… like you were _scared_ of me…"

Syaoran pulled away from her slightly and turned her around so that he could stare sternly down at her. "I don't ever want you to be scared of me. Never. I don't care anymore, and I want you by my side. Even if I have to fight off the entire South by myself to keep you safe, I'll do it. Such challenges no longer matter to me. I cannot deny you."

"You feel all of this?" Sakura whispered, not understanding. "And yet you say you don't love me?"

Syaoran's gaze hardened, and he took her hand, tangling his fingers between hers and squeezing them tightly. "I do not think I'll ever be able to give anyone my heart fully. I have been brought up in a world where leaving yourself so completely open and innocent means death by either heartache or physical pain. That organ in my chest from which my blood pumps forth has been hardened and calloused so much so that I do not think it could ever soften completely even if I wanted it to. Yet you are first in my heart, and I cannot deny it.

"I do not blame you if you do not want me, Sakura," he murmured quietly, squeezing her hand again. "I am not whole. I'm not capable of actual love… I'm far too scarred and toughened for something so pure. There is a past, which haunts me, which keeps me from doing so. It is not my lack of affection for you that limits me; it's my inability to trust _me_… can you understand that?"

It was not until Syaoran's warm thumb brushed away the tears coursing down her cheeks that Sakura realized that she was crying. She tried to wipe them away with the back of her sleeve, but the droplets kept coming, and all she managed to do was leave red, wet marks across her face. "You're so stupid," she choked out, sobbing. "That's more than enough you idiot. It's too much already!"

He was so honest with her. Oh so honest with her. He thought he was incapable of love _now_? How much of a scar was she going to leave on him when she finally committed that one final act of betrayal? She didn't want to see his face when he became disillusioned to the truth… when it finally dawned upon him what sort of terrible, disgusting piece of filth she really was. Her heart broke just thinking about it. And yet she couldn't stop. Kami-sama, someone help her - or better yet, help save _him_ from _her_!

"You're not the only one who isn't whole," she whimpered, her words still muffled with tears. "I'm going to go to hell for this Syaoran. Do you know that? I can see now that there is no future for one like me. I've done something terrible… I've made you feel all these terrible, wrong things. You shouldn't even have to think about loving me; some day soon you shall see the truth come out; you're going to want me dead; you're going to hate me."

He hushed her, planting another firm kiss on her lips before saying, "Stop uttering such nonsense. I cannot promise you the vulnerability that comes with the kind of love most seek, but I can promise you everything short of that. Do you honestly think that I could ever hate you, especially now? If I could hate you, I would not be saying these things to you now."

Sakura glared helplessly at him. "Obviously you don't know the depths of my corruption. You have no idea who I am or what I'm planning to do."

Instead of arguing further, Syaoran enveloped her into his embrace stroked the back of her head so tenderly that Sakura thought her heart was going to burst. "I've tried to think of many different theories, actually. But they've all led to a dead end," he admitted. "I assume it has to some extent to do with Gaoran, but that repulsive sham of a brother of mine deserves whatever's coming to him, so certainly just hurting _him_ couldn't be much of a betrayal to me. I'd like to hurt him plenty myself." He chuckled softly, and Sakura felt her heart lighten at the sound even as her thoughts darkened.

She knew that Syaoran had no idea what he was talking about. He couldn't possible imagine that she was plotting to murder both of his brothers for revenge – that she was actually _still_ lying to him, with a lie more terrible and bearing more weight than merely what her sex was. She was Kinomoto Sakura, from the South, his enemy. It was _her_ people who slew _his_ comrades at every battle. It was _her _friends who had killed those fifteen soldiers. She was just using him, him and his protection and his connection to his brothers in order to reach her final goal.

"I will not lie," Syaoran continued soothingly, combing her hair with his fingers. "I wish to know what it is you are hiding from me, but I wwill not force you. When you feel ready to tell me, then I will be ready to listen. Even if you end up betraying me, or whatever it is you think you're going to do, even then I will care for you. It is okay. I trust you."

Sakura wanted to go jump off a cliff. No, she wanted to throttle Syaoran until he understood. That stupid, beautiful, wonderful _idiot_ partner of hers was missing the point. Did he not understand the point of betrayal? He **trusted** her? Sakura was going to die with the guilt of it all. That wasn't such a bad idea, actually. Letting the guilt just kill her. It would certainly be the easy way out.

They said nothing more about the topic… speech _was_ hindered a bit due to a few long kisses here and there, but for the most part neither of them felt there was a need to fill the silence with meaningless chitchat.

"So tell me," Syaoran said as they parted at last. "I interrupted you earlier, before all… this. What was it you found in the library?"

"Hm?" Sakura murmured, her head cradled comfortably in the crook of his neck.

"The library. I believe you were the one who said that it was important?"

Her eyes shot wide open. "Oh! Yes. Syaoran," she turned towards him seriously, startling him. "Did you know that your brothers are planning to take over… something?"

He sighed. "And here I thought it was important. I've always assumed that the two of them were up to something to gain power. What of it? Even stripped of their right to lead my clan, they are powerful enough as it is."

"Well whatever it is they're attempting to take over, they plan to make you General, did you know that?" she persisted, her eyes searching his face frantically.

Syaoran frowned, his eyebrows creasing. "Such a thing may have been alluded to several times to me, but only in passing so I did not think much of it," he said slowly, but when he turned towards her he had a stern look on his face. "Why does that bother you? Do you honestly think I would ever join them?"

Sakura shook her head impatiently. "No, no that's not it. It's just… Syaoran, what is it you think they're _up _to? It makes me nervous. Are they – um, working for the North? Us, I mean."

"I know Gaoran and Dairan both took on Northern military and spy assignments while they were in the Academy and for a few years afterwards," he answered, in deep concentration. "However, their agenda seems to have changed. Yue has been grumbling for nearly a year now at meetings about them. Gaoran takes assignments every now and then though, when he decides to show up."

She grimaced. "Assignments? You don't ever go assignments, do you?"

He curled his arms around her comfortably and rested his chin atop her head. "I've only actually _fought_ in a skirmish once, last year. I serve in advisory positions to generals sometimes, but only when absolutely necessary, since technically I still lack experience. Why do you ask?"

"No…" she hesitated. "No reason."

"I see… is that all you heard in the library?"

"I forgot!" Sakura sat up straight suddenly, knocking his arms off of her. "Syaoran! The Clow scroll is in that old library! The swords are in the Academy too, somewhere, but they haven't figured it out yet, so I think we're safe for the moment, but we really have to get that scroll before they do. I already have the other half of it, but I don't want-"

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down!" Syaoran yelled, grabbing her flailing hands and pinning them down by her side. "What scroll are you talking about?"

"The Clow scroll! The half that was supposedly left to the North! You've heard the legends haven't you?" she persisted impatiently.

His face turned stony. "Those are just stories."

"But weren't you searching for the swords yourself?" Sakura asked, not understanding why he seemed so reluctant to believe her. "Gaoran's been searching for the half of the scroll that was sent to the South. That's why he's been gone for so long. And Dairan is convinced that the Northern half is somewhere in the old library… what's wrong, Syaoran?"

He sighed, struggling to find the correct words to placate her. "Those are just _legends_, Sakura. Certainly, the swords exist because there are actually _records_ of their forgings, but the invincible sword technique that Clow created does not really exist."

"But it _does_!" _I have one of the halves!_ Sakura screamed mentally. She made a sudden motion, as if to stand up, but stopped herself just in time.

"Sakura! What is it?" Syaoran asked, concerned.

The other half of the scroll was supposed to be sent to the South. If she showed him the scroll _she_ had, wouldn't he know where she was from? One conversation with Gaoran and her whole façade could go up in smoke. Syaoran would know that she was Kinomoto Sakura, a southern noblewoman whose family was murdered by his brother.

She stared nervously up at his caring amber eyes and her heart plummeted. Whatever fairytale she was living with him at the moment would have to end.

_But it was going to end anyways! To hell with it!_

"I have half of the scroll. I'll prove it to you," she said in a rushed whisper.

"What?" Syaoran asked, startled.

Sakura stood up suddenly, but as she did so, something heavy slipped out of the folds of her gi and clattered to the ground. They both stared down at the scroll in surprise.

"Is this what you were talking about?" he asked slowly, picking the thick roll of aged paper up.

Where had that come from? A cloudy memory of her knocking a pile of scrolls over and then hastily replacing all but one onto the library shelf clicked in her mind. "No, that's not it. I'd forgotten that I'd taken it at all. I stuffed it in my gi out of surprise when I heard you entering the library. We can take it back later. Wait for me a minute."

Syaoran didn't answer her, apparently very focused upon the old scroll that was in his hands. Was it really that interesting? Sakura shook the thought off and ran out of his room and into her own, slamming the shoji door open loudly with a clack.

Heading straight to her dresser, Sakura knelt and opened the bottom drawer and dug out from under the pile of clothing she used to conceal her secret possessions a familiar scroll that had been given to her by her father. She was back by Syaoran's side seconds later.

"Here it is Syaoran. The scroll," she said, slightly winded from running so quickly. Syaoran didn't look up.

Sakura stared at him, surprised and slightly hurt. "Syaoran! Are you listening to me? Stop staring at that scroll! I have half of Clow's scroll in my hand! I'm showing it to you!"

Her partner looked up finally, as if just now realizing that she was thrusting a bulky object under his nose. "Sakura," he said seriously. "Look at this. Do you know what it is you _dropped_?"

"Dropped?" she repeated, incredulous. "Do you know what it is that I'm _holding_? Syaoran **look**!"

His gaze fell finally upon her Sakura scroll, which she was clutching with trembling, pale fingers. This was danger. This was her risking her identity to tell him something important! Why was he so slow on the uptake?

"This is impossible," he whispered, taking it from her hands. "The symbols match perfectly."

"Yes of course the symbols match. The scroll-" Sakura stopped, not processing what he was saying. "Syaoran, what do you mean? This is just _one_ scroll. One half of Clow's technique…" her words trailed off as she stared dumbstruck at the second scroll Syaoran was holding up for her to see. "That scroll… is the random scroll that I picked up out of _Kami_ knows where in that old library… without even realizing it?"

Syaoran nodded slowly. "Apparently."

Sakura stared at him in stupefied surprised, her stunned expression mirroring his own. "You have got to be kidding."

--

**Tsuzuku…**

--

**Yes… I must admit, a bit of a filler chapter, but it was necessary! Now that they have both scrolls, things can begin to happen… **_**what**_** those things that will happen are, I'll let you all speculate, but I'm promising interesting things to come! ;)**

**Oh, and before you all complain and say that it's impossible for Sakura to find the **_**one**_** correct scroll out of a whole library stuffed with scrolls and books and whatnot, I'm going to remind you all that this is **_**fiction**_**, which means that every word of this story is left up for me to decide. So there. xD**

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kami-sama – God

otouto – younger brother

tatami – straw-mat flooring

oi – hey

baka - idiot

tanabata - japanese holiday, which involves two lovers... study wikipedia if you want to know more. haha.


	20. And The Race Begins

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**My, my, my! Can you actually believe that we've reached chapter twenty?! This is insane… to be perfectly honest, I cannot believe I haven't flaked out yet. Haha. **

**Thank you to everyone for all the support! I'm not going to lie… it's reaching the crunch point – AP testing. X____x Pray for me that I survive these next few weeks – I'm going to do my best to balance studies **_**and**_** updating. :D Wish me luck!**

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Twenty**

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"Easy, easy! Way too easy!" Andou hollered loudly, galloping past all the younger students with ease, waving his right arm wildly.

Sakura doubled over in laughter while Yamazaki promptly fell to the floor howling when their friend missed the next jump and had to double back, his face bright red. Next to them, Eriol was cough-chuckling and Syaoran's eyebrow twitched. It was a good morning, and for more reasons than one.

"It's a good thing we're only one group apart," Sakura whispered to her partner brightly, the eagerness in her voice barely concealed.

The ghost of a smile passed over Syaoran's face as he looked down at her, clearly amused. "Don't be so impatient. We've been practicing all morning and barely arrived in time to see Andou's wonderful performance. Your group goes next and mine after that," he said, with dry humor. "We can resume practicing later." His willingness to toss around jokes proved he was in a good mood too. After all, with both Clow scrolls in their possession there was definitely something to be excited about.

The teasing tone of his voice was not lost on Sakura. She promptly stuck her tongue out at him before quickly mounting Kero and taking hold of the reins. "I'm going to leave you in my dust," she sniffed, before giving a quick, familiar tug at the leather strap and then both she and Kero were off, trotting over to the starting line.

The competition would apparently be conducted by rank, not by age or class, and Sakura couldn't help but feel a sliver of thrilled pleasure at being in the group right before the first ranks. It was proof of her improvement.

"Ready your horses," a deep voice commanded authoritatively. The emerald-eyed girl forced herself to not look over at the head overseer of the challenge. She'd been steadily training herself to not lose focus from anger… but seeing his scar always set her blood raging, no matter how accustomed she was to seeing him at the Academy.

Sakura kept her gaze forward, scrutinizing the racing track carefully. It was a simple run really. They would be graded not only on their time, but also on the skill with which they completed the course. This was just the first round, meant to separate the higher-level riders from the lower echelon. The round that would take place later that night would be when the judges would rank those who would truly be in the competition to win the overall contest.

Andou had been wrong in saying that it was an easy course. The one in front of her now was much longer and more complicated than the one they usually practiced on, but an eager smile was already teasing the corners of her lips. Sakura always loved a challenge, and riding was what she was best at, after all.

"Everyone will start the race alone with a fifteen second gap between each rider, allowing for a comfortable buffer space. As you are not being compared to one another, but on individual performance, if the rider behind you attempts to pass, do not forcefully block his path. Those sorts of gimmicks come later on tonight. I'll release you in ascending order according to your overall rank, as set by your teachers. Begin when I call your name," Gaoran instructed.

"Yamamoto." The first rider shot off quickly, and Sakura chanced a guess that he was probably around twelve. Someone next to her whistled softly and she agreed wholeheartedly. That was some talent for a boy so young.

Fifteen seconds passed. "Nishikawa."

Another fifteen. "Koizumi."

And another. "Hanagawa."

"Kino."

Sakura surged forward on Kero, a happy flush in her cheeks. Fifth out of eight students! Yukito-san must have really had to pull some strings for her, but still, she was flattered.

Handling her beautiful, hazelnut horse with experienced confidence, the two of them raced forward with a speed that elicited several shocked gasps from the audience behind her, but Sakura couldn't hear them. All she was aware of was Kero's strong muscles moving boldly beneath her and the path before her eyes.

The two of them cleared the course easily, and Kero galloped so fast that he even surprised Sakura. They passed the rider in front of them almost immediately, and then the rider in front of that just as they cleared the last corner.

Kero neighed loudly as they crossed the finish line, coming to a smooth halt, and whinnied happily as Sakura hugged his neck affectionately and whispered giggling praises near his ear. When she finally straightened up, however, Sakura regretted it instantly as she caught Gaoran's eye, not at all liking the cold, appraising expression on Syaoran's eldest brother's face. It was far too calculating, as if he was reassessing her skills and filing it away into some dark shelf of his mind, storing the information away for future use. It made her uneasy.

As if sensing her agitation, Sakura's faithful companion snorted a threatening puff of hot air in Gaoran's direction before turning away sharply and leading his mistress back to the group of friends cheering loudly for her. Syaoran and his dark horse, Lei Feng, passed her along the way, and Sakura felt herself brighten a bit at his comforting presence.

"Good luck," she teased softly.

He smirked at her. "Don't worry, Sakura," Syaoran promised in a low voice. "I'll be back in a minute."

She sighed as her partner rounded the last the corner. "Damn you," Sakura cursed loudly as Syaoran cleared his course with record speed and approached her on Lei Feng, his smirk even more pronounced than before. "Damn you and your stupid ego. Did you _really_ have to go and finish it off in exactly one minute? I assumed it was a figure of speech."

"You assumed incorrectly," he answered, the amusement thick in his voice.

Sakura's pretty face contorted in fake anger, but she burst out laughing before the grimace could fully form. "Okay, okay first rank. I know you can't resist the opportunity to show off. Can we go now?" she gestured in the direction of the dojo. "Eriol said he'd cover for us, but insists upon an explanation later, which I hold _you_ responsible for."

"We're free until tonight's competition?" he asked.

"_You're_ free until tonight's competition," Sakura laughed. "_I'm_ free until tomorrow when Kami knows whatever torture plan our teachers have concocted for us takes place. I doubt I'll make it to the final round, but shall we go now?"

Still seated on his horse, Syaoran merely redirected his stallion's steps and headed off towards their dojo. "I wouldn't count on too much respite, Kino," he said, addressing her by fake name since they were still within earshot of everyone else. "I plan to personally defeat you tonight."

Sakura gave an unladylike snort. "Doubtful."

By the time they finally reached the clearing behind their dojo, Sakura was already half off Kero, her hand already at her sword. "Come on Syaoran!" she called happily. "You're too far behind and I'm sick of waiting for you to play catch-up. I want to try something _new_."

It wasn't true of course. Everything they'd practiced since the night before was refreshingly different and Sakura was startled by how quickly the _both_ of them were improving together. She felt an immense wave of satisfaction as her partner dismounted and walked over to her side, a look of eagerness nearly mirroring her own on his face.

It was as if a burden had been lifted… which it had. She was now yet another step closer to her goal. The long-time mystery of _why_ she couldn't properly master the Sakura dance was finally answered – and a solution presented! She'd foiled Gaoran's plans, which in itself was already encouraging, but what more, with this, they would be able to become stronger.

"Shall we review what we figured out this morning?" Syaoran asked, moving to stand right behind her, drawing his blade.

After discovering that they had the complete Clow technique within their grasp, the two of them had spent the evening looking over a select few of the scrolls from Tomoyo's mother; that is, those Sakura deemed safe for him to read. And it finally all made sense, why it was impossible for Sakura to complete her training on her own.

The Sakura Dance was a pas de deux, a duet, meant for two, and just one half of the powerful Clow technique. After reading the inscription on the front of _Syaoran's_ scroll, they christened the other half as the Elemental Torrent. He'd, of course, denounced the name as childish and needlessly extravagant, but Sakura had gone right on calling it that all day, so to _her_ at least it was the Elemental Torrent, even if Syaoran refused to verbally acknowledge it.

"Ready?" he murmured lowly by her ear.

Smiling, Sakura nodded and raised her arms, preparing to begin the third step of her dance; the one she'd never managed to finish. "You go first," he instructed, and so she started.

Bending her leg low and lifting the other back behind her to start the pattern, Sakura began to swing her sword around, creating the intricate pattern she'd practiced since she was little. Almost immediately, her muscles began to feel the strain the third step placed on them, but then Syaoran's free arm looped through her own, pulling her in the opposite direction, allowing her to shift her weight and position with ease. Thus the pas de deux began.

Their moves were connected at some parts and separated at some places, but between the two of them, they covered a lethal spread of territory, ready to cut down any unfortunate opponent who managed to wander into their range of fire.

Behind her, she could hear Syaoran softly repeating the poetic steps of instruction written in his scroll. "Wheel of fire… churning rain…" Once more, he caught her forearm in his hand and tugged her towards him so that they switched sides.

It was almost beautiful, really. The two of them together were in near-perfect synchronization – her dancing about him, smooth as water, and him cutting through the air powerfully, with strength like thunder. They were in faultless balance. Her smooth flexibility supported his straining muscles just as his skilled, precise might complimented her darting speed. They were dancing a deadly dance and thrilled by the possibilities now open to them.

They finally finished for the first time a shaky, but nevertheless _complete_ first duet together by the time the dinner gong rang. The scroll was difficult to interpret, so figuring out even the most basic moves took much concentration, but they finished at last, both collapsed on the floor, covered in sweat, and panting with intense contentment.

"You know," she wheezed happily, dragging herself up against a tree as Syaoran groggily steadied himself next to her. "We really ought to get going. If you don't eat any dinner you won't have enough energy for the race later."

He sighed heavily against the rough wood of the tree. "I feel as if someone slammed a thousand boulders against my body."

"Yes," Sakura nodded appreciatively. "That's what it felt like the first time I did the Sakura Dance too… but don't worry, you get used to it." She grinned up at him cheekily. "And it's a lot easier now that there's two of us."

His head was pressed the tree as his body leaned against the tall plant life for support, but he managed to crack open an eye and glare at her. "I'm not the only one racing tonight, brat." Reaching an exhausted hand out, he ruffled her hair. "And stop looking so smug. This Clow technique utilizes muscles that I never required the use of before. You're simply more accustomed to it than I am."

"I know," she teased lightly, helping him over to Lei Feng. "It just feels so _nice_ finally being ahead of you in something at last. As for the race, I seriously doubt it." There were, after all, only ten places, and eight of them would most likely go straight to the first ranks.

"You will see for yourself later," he said shortly, shaking her hand off. "I'm not an invalid, Sakura. I can walk on my own."

Sniffing, she mounted Kero and the two of them rode off to dinner, where they were met by the rest of their friends.

"Where've you been all day, Kino?" Andou howled, throwing an arm around Sakura and dragging her over to sit with them. Behind the spiky-haired boy and the struggling girl, Eriol strolled over to Syaoran's side, his hands in his sleeves.

He grinned. "And so, what of my promised explanation?"

Syaoran merely growled, rolling his sore shoulder slowly, testing it for kinks and tenseness. "We were just sparring by our dojo. Don't give me that look Eriol," he growled irritably. "It's the truth."

"Yes, and Sakura is just another student of the Academy. Nothing more, nothing less," his sapphire-eyed companion sneered at him disdainfully. "I was not born yesterday, Syaoran. At least attempt to be more convincing."

They sat at the table, and Syaoran took the spot next to Sakura. It was left open for him, like always, since no one wanted to risk incurring his wrath after that first time Andou had tried to steal that particular seat, and then later paid the price during a sparring lesson when Syaoran had _coincidentally_ requested a switch in partners for the day. Still, sometimes the young Li heir wondered what theories their friends were forming about the two of them.

Scowling, Syaoran brooded in an irritated manner as he swallowed a few mouthfuls of fish and rice. Finally he said, "Fine. We were scheming against my _esteemed_ elder brothers, if you must know. That is all."

"And _how_ are you doing that?" his friend asked in a low voice so as not to attract the attention of others.

"You asked for an explanation and I've given you one. Neither of us promised you specifics, Eriol."

After a few minutes of grumbling, Eriol gave up. "Very well. I'll have you know that they announced the names of those participating in tonight's race an hour ago, and both you and her are on it."

"I've guessed as much. Look at the expression on her face," Syaoran noted, nodding to his partner next to him. Her beautiful, emerald eyes were wide with surprise and her cheeks flushed with pleasure. "She's being informed as we speak."

The two of them shared in a rare chuckle.

Eriol's eyes observed the youngest Li brother carefully, and a calm smile spread across his face as he watched his friend gaze tenderly at Sakura. "You know, Syaoran. It really is a good thing she came here. You owe that expression on your face to her, after all."

This comment immediately wiped the content look off of his face, and Syaoran glared at his friend again. "Keep that foul tongue of yours to yourself, Eriol. I know what I am to be grateful for. There is no need for you to remind me."

"Syaoran!" Sakura squeaked, staring at him wide-eyed. "They-They're telling me that I have to compete tonight!"

"I told you so," he answered, his eyebrows raised. "Are you honestly so surprised?"

Her low estimation of herself never ceased to amaze him.

"But-But!" she sputtered. "I mean, with you and Eriol and all the other black bands, I shouldn't be able to make it! I'm not supposed to-"

"Riding is your specialty though," Yamazaki pointed out cheerfully from behind her.

Syaoran watched her shrewdly. "You aren't _nervous_ are you?"

"Of course not!" she retorted, bristling automatically at his words. "I'm just surprised. And now that I know I'm participating, I can't wait to finally wipe that smirk off of your face."

-----------------

Sakura could barely keep her inward cheering _inside_ as she dismounted from Kero, her face flushed, her eyes shining, and her heart pounding. Next to her, Syaoran swung off of Lei Feng, also out of breath, but also similarly pleased.

"What's with the smile Syaoran? I thought coming in _second_ would wipe it off your face," she laughed gleefully, mentally doing a little dance. First! She'd come in first! She'd _beaten Syaoran_! Heck, she'd beaten everyone else too!

"I suppose it is inevitable that you must win at something _sometime_," he said indifferently, his grin had faded to a bemused smirk, but she could tell that he was actually proud of her. "Shall we keep score? Your one to my… oh dear, I seem to have lots count of how many times our particular roles tonight have been _reversed_."

Sakura managed to stomp on his foot once _hard_ before everyone else arrived. Syaoran winced and glared at her, but she smirked back at him and walked with her head held high over in front of Yukito-san. She winked at the kenjutsu instructor and he winked back.

"While everyone else in the Academy will be ranked by their display of skill earlier this afternoon, the top ten will be reevaluated by their performance in tonight's competition," Gaoran said smoothly, walking to the front. All of a sudden Sakura tensed, no longer feeling so cheerful. Gaoran's eyes were on her, and to a certain extent she'd expected it since her ride in the afternoon, but now the additional _hundreds_ of eyes pinned to the back of her head made her nervous. She edged closer to Syaoran unconsciously.

"Everyone below the top ten will be scored on points from zero to twenty. The ten standing before me now all receive the full twenty points, and in addition will be awarded zero through ten extra points based upon the judges' decisions. We will now reveal the top ten scores."

There was a sudden buzz of excitement as the crowd of students in the audience leaned forward to hear. They fell silent, however, as Yue stood to read the scores off.

"Kino Kura – 29.

Li Syaoran – 28.

Hiiragizawa Eriol – 27.

Furukawa Ryousha – 27.

Mastura Daisuke – 25.

Kouno Masao – 24.

Himura Ryu – 23.

Asakura Aoda – 22.

Hata Raiki – 22.

Ishihara Takashi – 22."

He paused, as there was an eruption of cheering from the top ten's friends before continuing. "Everyone's points shall be posted on the east wall of the main hall. Those who have not managed to make it to the top ten must check their ranking on that paper. Points for this competition will be cumulative. Li-san." Yue nodded at Gaoran to finish.

"The second test of this competition will begin tomorrow after your morning lessons. It will be as straightforward as the one today. Hand-to-hand sparring. You will be paired with your partners for the preliminary round. That is all." He dismissed them.

To Sakura's infinite surprise, while most of the Academy students and teachers left the area, two first ranks, not including Syaoran and Eriol, remained behind and walked over to her side.

They were an intimidating duo, both muscular and tall, but the brunette on the left had cold, perceiving look in his eye that sent shivers up Sakura's spine. His friend had a mean expression as well, but while the brunette smiled, the sheer _malice _in his gaze made her instantly alert. They both stared at her hard, and despite her nervousness, Sakura stared boldly back, unwilling to back down.

"Is there something you wanted with my partner?" Syaoran asked stonily, causing the brunette's head to snap upwards and eyes to narrow on the youngest Li.

Suddenly the strange student gave a laugh, an unpleasant, cold laugh. "So _this_ is your partner that everyone's been talking about? I had wondered," he inclined his head slightly in Sakura's direction. "Furukawa Ryousha, and this is my friend, Mastura Daisuke. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Kino-kun."

Sakura crossed her arms in front of her chest, and decided that she didn't like this Furukawa Ryousha at all. Nevertheless she returned the semi-polite gesture. "Is there something you wanted, Furukawa-san? Matsura-san?"

"Merely to commend you on your fine riding, Kino-kun," Furukawa answered lightly, waving her off, but there was a steel edge to his voice that made Sakura bristle. "We'll be watching you much more carefully from now on. I had no idea there was anyone who could outride Li and Hiiragizawa here. You are very talented."

His compliment did little to hide the thinly veiled threat. "You flatter me," she bit out slowly, and was about to say more when suddenly she was tackled to the ground by something heavy from behind her.

"Damn it Andou! You're not supposed to _kill_ him! We're supposed to be congratulating the little guy!" Yamazaki yelled, exasperated as he came running up to the group. "You okay Kino?" He shoved an overly eager Andou off of her and helped her to her feet. "Good job, by the way."

"Yeah!" their fallen comrade recovered quickly. "I never would have believed it! Kino! You're currently ranked number one in the competition! You're like some genius rookie who came out of nowhere!"

Furukawa's cold laugh cut through their conversation like a sword, and Sakura gazed at him warily. "Ah… please, excuse me," he coughed politely. "But I think I've taken a liking to that nickname. It was nice to meet you, Rookie. Until tomorrow then." With that, both he and Matsura left, leaving a sour aftertaste in Sakura's mouth.

"Who were _they_?" Andou spat, glaring at their retreating backs. "Saying 'Rookie' like it was an insult. Kino, don't mind him. His sorry first-rank ass is just sore that you beat him so badly."

"They are Furukawa Ryousha and Mastura Daisuke, the oldest and two of the more skilled first ranks, both graduating next year," Eriol said seriously. "Kino, you've been marked as prey."

Sakura snorted loudly, scowling. "Oh yes, I'm _terrified_ of those big, bad black bands. Not likely," she jabbed a finger up in Syaoran's direction. "I have to deal with _this_ one _everyday_. Plus, if Syaoran's my partner for first fighting tomorrow, there's no chance in hell I'm making it to the second round anyways. He always wipes the floor with me."

"Well, at the very least, it's good that you know where you stand, baka," Syaoran muttered as everyone laughed.

----------------

As it turned out, Yue was unable to head their first-form class as usual because of the competition, so the entire lesson was self-practice. Sakura stretched lithely on the tatami floor as Syaoran did some warm-up punches above her.

"Can we just do a few _light_ spars today, Syaoran?" she begged, pouting prettily up at him. "I mean, I know you're definitely going to go all out on my later for the contest, so it would be nice if you didn't black and blue me _too_ much before the spar that actually counts. I'd like my score not to drop _all_ the way to the bottom… especially after that snobby Furukawa said that he'd be watching me… _please_?"

Syaoran grunted in acquiesce, his uniform movements not stopping.

Sakura grinned up at him and resumed her stretch.

"Kino," he said suddenly, beginning to jog lightly in place. "When are you going to show me what you've been working on with Yue?"

"Yue-_sensei_ Syaoran," she admonished, frowning up at him. "And I told you that I still haven't mastered it yet. I don't want to show you what I've learned until I can do it right, or else you'll just make me feel stupid all over again."

In mid-step Syaoran suddenly jumped, and swung his left foot forward, towards her face. Sakura yelped, falling backwards onto the floor with a hard _thump_ to avoid being hit.

"What was that for?!" she screeched, getting to her feet and glaring at him. "If you _think_ that just because-"

"If what you're learning has to do with martial arts, it'll take _years_ before you fully master it. What are you waiting for, lightening to strike? Show me what you've learned, Kino," he said jeeringly, stepping into a ready stance and raising his arms.

His amber eyes were cold and taunting as he stared at her, but inside, Syaoran was merely waiting for her to take the bait – which she did. He watched her move into her own ready stance with a flicker of interest.

Whether she had noticed it or not, Sakura's hand-to-hand fighting skills had improved drastically since she began taking private lessons with Yue. It peaked Syaoran's interest, especially because he knew that she was still holding back. Her movements for the past few weeks had become smoother, more refined, and more powerful, and he was itching to see how far she'd come.

"_You_, Li Syaoran, are an insufferable male _pig_," Sakura fumed, already lightly bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

"Reserve your insults for someone who is affected by them, Kino." In a flash, Syaoran surge forward, covering the distance between them in two easy strides, his left leg swing up to kick her hard on the right side of her stomach.

Sakura's eyes widened, realizing that he was serious – there was so much _power_ in his kick. Stepping quickly to the side and out of harm's path, she threw a few of her own punches, each easily blocked by Syaoran.

"I thought I told you to show me something new."

"Patience is a virtue, Syaoran."

He aimed his fist at her gut.

To his surprise, she caught his fist by making an X with her wrists, and maneuvered her hands smoothly around, her right hand grabbing hold of _his_ wrist, and her left sliding up his arm and catching hold of the pressure point between his elbow and shoulder. Within a second, he was facedown on the tatami floor, his right arm held in a deadlock behind him, and Sakura's knee pressing into his back.

They both remained motionless, eyes wide with shock.

Sakura stared at the boy pinned beneath her, not quite believing what she was seeing. Her hands had moved of their own accord, and without thinking she had rendered _Syaoran_ defenseless… _**Syaoran**_!!

The warm body beneath her shifted slightly, and immediately Sakura let go, allowing him to get up and stare at her.

Syaoran _did_ stare. He was impressed.

"You practice this with Yue every week?" he asked, a slight note of shock perceivable in his voice.

She nodded dumbly in response.

Syaoran's mind was reeling, and something deep within his chest was reverberating with pride and pleasure for his small partner. "Tai Chi Chuan and the use of the water theory," he said more to himself than to Sakura, but she nodded again without thinking.

"Kino," he said, moving into position once again. "In these next few hours you will be doing nothing but practicing what you learned from Yue in actual sparring practices. Prepare yourself, because I will not be holding back on you."

----------------

"Next. Yamazaki-Andou pair. Li-Kino pair. Kikumaru-Kudou pair. Begin!"

Sakura took a deep breath, spread her legs apart, lifted her arms, and formed firsts with her hands. "Your move, Syaoran."

Their match was the longest of the three, but even before the other two pairs had finished, most eyes were already fixed on the two of them. Since when could scrawny little Kino hold his own against Li Syaoran?

They exchanged parries and kicks and blows, and all the while Sakura's movements were like water, redirecting the flow of power instead of using what little brute strength she possessed. That is not to say that Syaoran made it easy for, nor is it to say that he allowed himself to become caught up in her technique. Rather, Sakura was constantly on the defensive, many times just barely able to keep her partner from completely flattening her. In the end, Syaoran still won. Yet to everyone who had witnessed their match, it was apparent that puny Kino Kura could now handle hand-to-hand fighting a bit more than just decently.

"Hai, Kura-san. Water," Eriol grinned, handing her a cup of water as she returned to the group of students waiting for their turn. "Otsukare. Syaoran too."

"Arigatou," she murmured, taking a quick sip before dumping the rest of the cool liquid over her head. Her muscles felt sore and her arms were still heavy with exhaustion as she returned the cup to Eriol and glared at her merciless partner.

"Were you trying to kill me?" she demanded furiously.

He shrugged calmly, and Sakura realized with great irritation that he was barely out of breath. "You handled it well," he said in defense.

"Now don't you start the compliments on me now," she hissed, poking an accusing finger at his chest. "I'm very, _very_ mad at you. I thought I asked you to go easy on me at practice- you didn't. And _then_ you decide that it's worth your time to actually try and kick my already-sore butt?! Oh no, I'm not letting you honey-coat your way out of this."

Yamazaki chortled, causing the pair to turn and stare in surprise.

"W-What?" he asked, still grinning. "I was just thinking that the two of you look a lot like a married couple. Kino's the girl, of course."

Everyone, except for the mortified two in question, watched in amusement as Sakura's face turned an interesting shade of white and then red.

"Do you have a death wish, Yamazaki?" Syaoran growled dangerously, advancing on the spiky-haired boy menacingly.

"N-N-No! I was just kidding. It was a joke! Hahaha? Right Li… loosen up a bit…" Yamazaki backed away carefully as everyone else laughed.

Eriol grinned. "That's right Syaoran. There's nothing to get so defensive about after all. It's not as if anything's going on between the two of you."

Sakura choked.

"Whoa! Kino!" Andou hollered, thumping her back in a soothing manner. "Breathe there, easy."

"You two are certainly acting strange though," Kudou put in, eyeing Sakura's strange reaction shrewdly. "Are you sure there isn't something you wanted to-"

"I **dare** you to finish that sentence," Syaoran snarled.

"Hey you! Over there! Be quiet! Some of us actually _care_ to hear who makes the top ten!" an annoyed person yelled from across the room as the group immediately erupted into a fit of giggles very unbefitting noble sons attending the prestigious military Academy.

"The names of those who will continue to the next round are," Gaoran announced, and immediately everyone fell silent. "In descending order: Li Syaoran. Hiiragizawa Eriol. Furukawa Ryousha. Matsumoto Reiji. Matsura Daisuke. Honda Makoto. Kouno Masao. Himura Ryu. Asakura Aoda. Teshima Shoukichi…"

Smilingly, Sakura turned to congratulate the two first ranks within their group, but Eriol grinned and stopped her, taking hold of her shoulders and turning her back around to face the judges' table.

At the last name, there was sudden flurry of movement from the crowd of students, and a tall, lanky-looking senior student ran up to Gaoran, bowed and whispered something in his ear. Immediately, Gaoran turned and began to consult something with the rest of the teachers in a low voice. After five minutes of suspenseful wait, he finally turned to the students.

"… due to injuries incurred during the first round, Teshima Shoukichi will be replaced by the eleventh candidate, Kino Kura."

For the second time, all eyes were once again fixed up the scrawny Kino's figure once again, but this time, Sakura could feel waves of bitterness and resentment blend with the shock and astonishment. Frankly, she did not blame them. She'd done decently in the fight, but surely others had done better.

"The pairings for the matches will be as follows."

There would be time to consider what exactly had happened later. Sakura snapped to attention at Gaoran's words. Now wasn't the time to think about everyone's opinion of her. She had to concentrate on whom she would be facing off with!

"Li-Hiiragizawa.

Matsumoto-Matsura.

Honda-Asakura.

Kouno-Himura.

Furukawa-Kino.

That is all. Everyone may please vacate the grounds so that we may prepare for the second round. The matches will be conducted in the tournament style, where each of the ten will fight, and the winner will move on in a ladder formation until there is only one winner at the end."

All of her friends were gaping at her, open-mouthed, but it was the grim expression on Eriol and Syaoran's faces that disturbed Sakura the most. And then, of course, Furukawa Ryousha felt the need to restate his former challenge.

The tall first rank made his way over to her, scorn and contempt written all over his face. "I'm so glad my partner is you, Kino," he said light-heartedly. "Now I don't have to worry about my first opponent. I hope, Rookie, that you won't mind losing too quickly. You're only a second-rank, after all."

Sakura's mouth set into a grim line.

----------------

**Tsuzuku…**

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I know! I know! It's short… but honestly _twelve_ pages already! _Twelve _pages of size _ten _font… I'm doing my best here! You definitely won't want to miss Sakura's fight next chapter. I promise interesting things to come in the future! Please…

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oi – hey

arigatou – thank you

otsukare – you did well [you worked hard] – good job

kami – God

tatami – straw mat flooring

hai – yes

kenjutsu – sword-fighting


	21. Bruise

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Ahh… summer is coming soon – thank goodness. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Your caring enough to leave a comment is what fuels my passion for writing. Thanks again!**

**As for the story, I hope you're all enjoying it. I know that it's slowed down a bit again, but I hope to keep it interesting while everything that needs to occur for the plot to tie together occurs. I won't disappoint!**

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Twenty One**

----------------

Sakura fidgeted nervously, shifting her weight from her left leg to her right and then back to her left again as she stared tensely at the muscular boy she would be fighting against in less than a few minutes.

"Stop it," Syaoran instructed calmly, his left hand resting on her shoulder firmly. "What's the use of making yourself more nervous? Focus."

Sakura frowned, but tried to obey all the same. She stretched a little, lifting her arms high above her head and attempted to relax, but within seconds her eyes were once more on the first rank across the room. Her emerald eyes had landed on him just in time to witness his "warm-up" session with a friend, and Furukawa was successfully turning his opponent into a limp punching bag. The fidgeting began again.

"I thought I told you to stop your incessant worrying," he growled impatiently.

"I can't _help_ it," she shot back. "Why is it the teachers are suddenly picking on me? Yue-sensei knows better than anyone else how bad I am at hand-to-hand fighting. Sure, my technique has gotten slightly better because of my tai chi chuan training, but still, Yamazaki or maybe even Sadaharu would have been better. Now I'm stuck with _that_"- she made a flailing gesture in Furukawa's direction -"and you're telling me not to worry? He might not be the best on horseback, but can you _see_ those muscles on his arms? _And _he's a first rank! I thought that was the point of having ranks, so that you don't get matched up with someone way out of your league."

He fixed her with a half-amused, half-irritated stare. "It seems that you have forgotten that **I** happen to not only be your partner, but also a first rank as well. And you are correct in saying that Yue knows well the depth of your hand-to-hand fighting skills. Therefore, I suggest you take into account that he has allowed you to be matched with someone of Furukawa's caliber. Since your brain works on a slightly lower level than most, I'll explain it to you. When the judges nominate you to compete against higher ranking students, it implies that you are at least somewhat close to them in skill." He lifted an impatient arm to hold her still once again. "Are you done _pacing_ now?"

"Syaoran, why can't you ever compliment me without insulting me?" she huffed unhappily, crossing her arms in front of her. "It's really very annoying."

"You shouldn't let yourself be so easily ruffled by mere words."

Sakura contemplated whether or not it would be worth her time to start a fight with her stubborn, pig-headed partner, but decided against it as she realized there were actually a lot of people watching them, including the teachers. They looked – and frankly, Sakura didn't blame them – quite skeptical about her being allowed to compete in the second round.

Suddenly, Syaoran flicked her forehead. _Hard._

"OUCH! What was that for you big, ugly-"

"Oh, I'm _ugly_ now, am I?" he drawled lazily, the smirk on his face obviously mocking her.

She glared at him. "Yes, very, **very** ugly," Sakura lied through gritted teeth. "So ugly my dreams turn into nightmares whenever your face turns up. So ugly that-"

"My face turns up in your _dreams_?" Syaoran repeated suggestively, the hand on her shoulder squeezing ever so gently. "You've never mentioned _those_ before. What kind of dreams do you have about me?"

Sakura tried to flick _him_ on _his_ forehead, but it proved much more difficult than she had anticipated since he was a good head taller than her. He sidestepped her attack easily. Life could be so unfair sometimes. "Like I said," she shot back scathingly, a furious blush on her cheeks. "They were _nightmares_."

He chuckled softly so that only she could hear. "Well," he said in a low voice. "At least you are no longer so tense. If you get nervous during your match against Furukawa, just imagine my face and you'll be fine."

She opened her mouth to protest, but then paused, not understanding. "Huh?"

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Baka."

Sakura scrunched her eyebrows together in deep thought for a moment before finally understanding. "Oh!" she said loudly, clapping her hands together in realization. "You were trying to make me feel better."

"Yes," his eyebrows raised in amusement. "I suppose I was."

Sakura blushed as she stared up at his amber eyes. "Oh… well then, thank you. I s-suppose."

"And why," he continued in a husky voice as he brushed a few auburn hairs out of her face. "Are you stuttering? Am I making you nervous?" The irritating smugness in his voice was painfully obvious, and yet as Sakura's stomach fluttered, she felt more helpless than annoyed at his proud statement.

"There's nothing about this ugly face that could make me nervous," she forced out slowly. It was difficult to concentrate when he was so close. Sakura thought she could still smell the scent of musky pine on him. "And I'm not – er – stuttering." She winced. What a moment for clear speech to fail her!

Syaoran's eyes widened in surprise and he seemed unable to help himself as another chuckle shook through his body. And then he whispered something in her ear that made Sakura's face redden with a furious heat. "Do you know how adorable you are sometimes, Sakura?"

Sakura wasn't sure what the emotion in her chest was… but it felt as if someone had grabbed onto her heart with both hands, and was shaking it up and down. Her stomach she could no longer feel; there was only a dull, buzzing feeling that Sakura guessed was probably the butterflies at work again.

"S-Syaoran!" she hissed.

"Li-Hiiragizawa pair. Honda-Asakura pair. Come to the front."

"I'll be back in a little. Focus on the fight and calm yourself. If you concentrate, I am sure that you will be fine. I'll see you in a few minutes," Syaoran said to her softly before walking up to Eriol and moving into a ready stance as the judges watched. When Gaoran gave the signal, both pairs of fighters lunged at each other and began to spar.

Both Honda and Asakura were famous enough within the Academy for even Sakura to have heard about, but the auburn-haired girl found her eyes were fixed on the match between the two first ranks in her class, and on the fighter with handsome, amber eyes in particular. He moved with a calculated finesse that Sakura could not help admire, and not for the first time she was grateful Syaoran was usually merciful to her during their daily sparring session.

Eriol, of course, was hardly less strong and skillful. The battle between the two of them lasted only two minutes, since both were experienced enough to know the other's weaknesses, and Sakura watched eagerly as the two friends faced off. It was over quickly because Syaoran managed to take advantage of Eriol's momentary lapse in concentration.

A melodic giggle from the entrance of the training hall made both Sakura and Eriol look up in surprise. The former snickered while the latter brightened considerably at seeing a certain amethyst-eyed beauty come to cheer him on. Leaving Syaoran by himself to accept the judges' congratulations, Eriol rushed over to Sakura's attractive cousin and immediately began wooing her with charming words while offering her his arm.

"It is… too bad that you lost, Eriol-san," Tomoyo said, a small smile on her face. "I came to cheer you… and Kino-kun on."

"Oh? I'm flattered," he said softly. Then, louder, and with a wide grin on his face, he said. "And I'm sure _Kino-kun_ is flattered too. Aren't you?"

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura laughed, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Well I came to congratulate you for yesterday first," her friend gushed happily, taking Sakura's hands and shaking them up and down in excitement. "And then, to cheer you on today. You're amazing Kino-kun! I never knew you were ranked so high in the Academy!"

Sakura hurriedly made shushing sounds. "I'm _not_, Tomoyo-chan! Shh!" she hissed. "I just got really lucky yesterday, and I'm scared stiff right now, okay? Don't make a scene _please_. I'm pretty sure a lot of the other students are unhappy enough with my participation as it is."

At these words, Tomoyo flared up immediately. "What do you mean you don't deserve to participate? You won _first place_ in the first competition didn't you? You're currently ranked number one in the entire Academy! All of the girls are talking about it right now. Kino-kun, you just tell me, which boy isn't happy with your participating, and Mei Ling and I will personally see to it that-"

"Now, now Tomoyo-san, don't get so excited. Kura-san is going up in just a minute. Don't cause him too much stress, alright?" Eriol chided soothingly, calmly lowering Tomoyo's flailing arms. "I'm sure he'd much more prefer it if you put your energy into cheering for him."

Sakura flashed him a grateful smile and was about to agree when she was cut off by an eruption of cheers from the rest of the students. The match between Honda and Asakura had ended.

"Matsumoto-Matsura pair Kouno-Himura pair. Come to the front."

Sakura exhaled shakily. Only one more round left to wait. Whether she was more pleased or frustrated by that fact, Sakura wasn't sure.

Tomoyo seemed to notice her uneasiness. "Kino-kun," she said gently with a smile. "You're going to be fine. The judges aren't there simply to evaluate your performance, I'm sure that they'll intervene if the fight becomes too dangerous. Besides, you're the number one rank! You're going to do lovely, and I'll be here to watch your magnificence at its highest splendor!"

Sakura giggled. She felt a presence come up beside her, and immediately she turned to greet Syaoran with a smile. "Congratulations, she said. "You did well."

"Of course," he responded unblushingly. His gaze was focused on her instead. "You aren't still worrying are you?"

"Umm…" she trailed off sheepishly, at which Syaoran scowled.

"You know, you-"

"Am I interrupting?" someone cut in suddenly. All four members of the group looked up in surprise to see Furukawa walk up, a confident smile on his face. Sakura glared at him instinctively.

"Yes," Syaoran said bluntly. "Don't you need to go support Matsura? He's a friend of yours isn't he?"

"Mastura will be fine if his opponent is someone as weak as Matsumoto. I don't keep _weaklings_ around me," Furukawa answered, placing emphasis on 'weaklings' as his gaze shifted suggestively to Sakura.

"What is it you want, Furukawa-kun," Eriol asked, a smile on his face and a hard edge to his voice.

This was obviously the invitation Furukawa had been waiting for. "Well, I had been debating whether or not it would be prudent for me to come wish Kino a good match before we began fighting; it's only polite, after all. But then I didn't want to cause our poor little Rookie to feel any more anxious about his impending defeat."

"So why are you here?" Sakura snarled.

"Now, now. Don't get so upset, Kino-kun. What really settled the question for me was the presence of this beautiful young lady, here," he said suddenly, turning grandly to Tomoyo. "Please excuse my abruptness, fair lady, but I simply had to introduce myself. My name is Furukawa Ryousha. Might you honor me with yours?"

Eriol growled menacingly, and all four heads snapped towards him in surprise. It was rare that the usually calm and composed Eriol would lose his cool.

Tomoyo, however, seemed pleased by his reaction. Smiling, she turned to Furukawa and beamed at him. "My name is Daidouji Tomoyo, and Kino-kun is my best friend. Your presence is a nuisance here. Please leave."

Sakura's mouth dropped open as she stared at her cousin. Was the world coming to an end? What had come over both Eriol and Tomoyo? It was the first time Sakura had seen either of them show such open displeasure.

Furukawa obviously did not take the rejection well either. "Well," he drew himself up to his full height and scowled. "I had not realized that I would be received with such little endeavor at civility. Excuse me." He made a slight bow at Tomoyo before sneering at Sakura with disdain. "I shall see you later, Rookie."

She returned his distaste by glowering at him as he returned to his group of friends.

"Kino," Syaoran said suddenly, jerking her thoughts away from Furukawa.

"What?" Sakura looked up too, only to realize with a sinking dread that the second round of matches had finished. Her pulse quickened.

"Furukawa-Kino pair. Come to the front."

Sakura felt her heart clench in nervous anxiety as her legs took her mechanically to the front of the room where she stood facing across from an ominously eager Furukawa. He smirked, and she forgot to breathe.

Vaguely, Sakura registered that Gaoran was telling them to get into their ready positions, so she obeyed slowly, mentally cringing at how tense she was. As soon as the overseer's call of "Begin!" came, however, Sakura was incredibly grateful for her quick, albeit slightly stiff muscles. Furukawa lunged at her, throwing a well-aimed punch at her face, and although she was having difficulty thinking straight, her arms and legs obeyed her brain's fuzzy commands automatically, moving out of harm's way. Ducking what she dimly recognized as a feint, Sakura sidestepped the kick to her stomach and blocked the fist meant to break her nose.

What finally drew her from her panicking haze was the sheer, feral _certainty_ in her opponent's expression. The smirk hadn't dropped despite her evasions of his attacks, and if anything, the ferocity of his punches and jabs increased. Almost immediately Sakura realized that Furukawa was not aiming simply to defeat her – he wanted to _hurt _her.

Her self-preserving instincts kicking in, Sakura felt a sudden rush in her blood as she seized his arm, catching him off guard, and threw her first punch in the match. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was aware that a loud cheer had come up from somewhere in the back of the room, but she shoved her thoughts away and focused on the fight.

Quickly, Sakura took a few steps back and scrutinized Furukawa, assessing the situation quickly. To his credit, he was instantly aware of what she was trying to do, and did not allow her any openings as he recovered quickly, rapidly coming at her once again, hurling at her an onslaught of powerful punches and kicks, one of which hit her square in the jaw. Tears sprung to her emerald eyes as her head snapped to the side, but Sakura continued to block carefully, thankful that the blow hadn't broken anything. A fractured jaw would definitely have meant the end of the match.

Swiftly, Sakura decided it was time to turn the fight around. Catching the next blow of his fist with the back of her forearm, Sakura gave way a bit, shifting her weight to her back leg and forcing Furukawa to fall forward towards the ground. Just as he lost his balance, she flipped around deftly and kicked him hard in the gut. He fell with a loud thud, and Sakura felt a wave of satisfaction at the painful groan that escaped from his lips. Furukawa glared at her in disbelief, unable to accept the fact that the skinny _Rookie _had managed to not only send him flying, but was _smirking _at him.

His dark eyes rose and locked onto hers slowly. The malice in his face sent the fear flooding back into her senses. Within seconds he was already recovered and attacking once again. This time it was much more difficult to evade his punches. His fist slammed into her gut, knocking the air out of her lungs, and even as she attempted to wind the power from his blow through her body to use against him, his knee _conveniently_ slammed into her crotch.

Sakura's eyes opened wide, and for a split second she was unsure of what to do. Eriol's cry of "foul!" was loud in the air, but Sakura was sure that no one else had seen clearly enough what had happened to do anything about it. At best, Furukawa would simply say that it had been an accident. No, but that wasn't what was in important. If she didn't act in pain _now_ her cover would be blown.

Doubling over, Sakura pretended to be in agony, but to her surprise, her opponent did not back off. Instead, his elbow crashed across her face, knocking her head to the side painfully. Her emerald eyes dimmed and her vision blurred before everything went black.

----------------

Syaoran finally understood the meaning of what it meant to see red as he watched Sakura and Furukawa fight. It had begun all right. His partner was obviously suffering from a severe and pathetic bout of nerves, but even so she was holding up decently.

In all honesty, Syaoran doubted that Sakura would win. It wasn't that he lacked faith in her, but that he simply knew better than anyone else what she was capable of- and it was a lot, just not enough to defeat someone as experienced as Furukawa, tai chi chuan training or not. She was undoubtedly skilled as a fighter and she had definitely improved a lot over the past few months, but hand-to-hand fighting remained her weakness.

With all of this in mind, Syaoran had truly believed that he would be able to keep his cool no matter what happened during her fight. The moment Furukawa's knee connected with Sakura _there_, however, Eriol had to grab onto Syaoran (while yelling foul!) in order to keep the furious Li from charging in and ripping the dishonorable boy apart. And then, when Furukawa's elbow slammed across her face, Eriol forgot about Syaoran completely, and both of them rushed in to stop the fight.

Whether or not he was going to tear Furukawa to pieces was not the question. The only question in Syaoran's mind was whether he should go first to Sakura and _then_ murder the dirty bastard or to murder the dirty bastard _first_ and _then_ go to Sakura. He was itching to send Furukawa to hell, but one clear look at Sakura' unconscious face convinced him that vengeance would have to wait.

"Kino!" he yelled, rushing over to his fallen partner's side. Shoving a covertly smirking Furukawa out of the way roughly for Eriol to handle, he knelt down by Sakura's side and lifted the upper half of her body off the tatami floor gently with his left arm and with his right he touched her bruised cheek gently, trying to gauge the degree of damage she had taken. With a sigh of relief, he realized that she'd simply fainted and that other than the ugly, bleeding bruise, which was already forming on her face, she'd be okay.

"Syaoran," Eriol said warningly, and immediately Syaoran picked the limp Sakura up in his arms to keep anyone else from getting too close to her while she was unconscious. Even though her baggy samurai clothes and naturally rather flat chest kept others from seeing her feminine figure, allowing someone else to pick her up while she had no control over her body was too dangerous. Syaoran fumed. Actually, the very thought of another male holding Sakura close to him was enough to make him seethe with anger.

Gaoran strode across the room, an indecipherable expression on his face as he observed his youngest brother's actions. Nodding in Furukawa's direction he said, "The winner… Furukawa." The eldest Li made no comment about the foul, but walked apathetically over to the fallen student's side.

"How is he?" he asked a furious Syaoran shortly.

Gaoran's dark eyes watched carefully as Syaoran struggled with himself to keep under control. _Interesting._

"He's just unconscious, Li-san," Eriol answered for his friend, stepping between the two parties smoothly. "Why don't I take care of him so that you can start the next round?"

His gaze shifted over to the guarded expression on Hiiragizawa's face, and Gaoran's eyes flashed knowingly. He nodded. "I will leave Kino-kun's treatment to you then, Hiiragizawa-kun. If you deem it is necessary, please take him to the infirmary."

"Yes sir."

"Very well," he turned to the waiting crowd. "The fourth round will now begin. Asakura-Matsura pair. Come to the front to begin your match."

----------------

Sakura's world came into slow focus as she blinked wearily, and her eyelids seemed strangely heavy. There was a burning pain on her left cheek, as if it was on fire. Everything seemed groggy and out of focus as her mind swam lazily, unable to decipher the stray thoughts shooting through her head. Her eyes still not completely open, Sakura commanded her exhausted limbs to move, but it was all she could manage to lift one leaden hand up – it seemed to weigh a ton. Gingerly, her fingers gently touched the swelling cheek, and immediately Sakura cringed from it violently, tears springing into her open eyes and her hand retracting forcefully from her face. It was then she became aware that she was not alone.

"Kura-san!"

"Kino!"

"Kino!"

"Hey man, are you okay?"

"W-What?" she croaked, her throat dry. Inwardly, Sakura grimaced at the disgusting sound. She coughed to clear her throat a little and tried again. "What happened?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

There was a sudden movement around her, and when she finally opened her emerald eyes again, Sakura saw a concerned Eriol looking down at her, flanked by their group of friends, all bearing worried expressions on their faces.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

She attempted a smile, but then immediately regretted doing so because of the sharp pain in her cheek. "Like I've been sat on by a panda," she admitted. "What's going on right now? Wait – actually, what _happened_?"

An alarmed Tomoyo came into view, pushing Eriol out of the way. "What do you mean what happened? Don't you remember? How's your head? How many fingers am I holding up?" She held up two digits frantically.

"Three fingers Tomoyo-chan," Sakura joked weakly. "I'm just kidding! Calm down! Two, two! I can see just fine."

"Oh thank goodness," her friend breathed in relief.

"Do you want me to tell you what happened?" Eriol asked, carefully extracting the object of his affection from her spot in front of Sakura so that he could check on her again.

"Yes please," she answered.

"Well you remember Furukawa kneeing you in the crotch don't you? That dirty bastard," Andou spat on the ground.

"Furukawa…" Sakura repeated slowly. Then it all rushed back to her. Faltering for a moment because she had to feign pain… and then an elbow crashing into her face… a voice yelling her name-

"Syaoran!" she said suddenly, trying to sit up, but failing miserably as her exhausted muscles gave up on her. "Where's Syaoran?"

"Whoa, whoa. Easy there," Eriol said softly, helping her up gently because she was unable to do so on her own. He muttered a quiet "Excuse me", before hoisting her up by her armpits and helping her to her feet. "He's over there, fighting against Furukawa."

"WHAT?!" Sakura shrieked. Luckily, she was kept from sprawling flat on her face by Eriol's steady arm holding her back.

"Don't jump to any conclusions. This is an official fight and they're the last two. The winner of this match is the winner of the second challenge, so just stand here and watch," there was a strange, almost malicious leer on Eriol's face that took Sakura aback. "Syaoran's going to thrash him for you."

Almost hesitantly, emerald eyes turned to watch the fight unfolding before them.

Sakura watched the two of them duel in rapt fascination. Within moments, she was well aware of the fact that Syaoran wasn't holding back at all. This was nothing like his previous match with Eriol. As she took in the fight before her, Sakura realized how strong her partner really was. She'd forgotten how powerful Syaoran's movements were, how each of his muscles moved with such cold precision, and how his very _presence_ seemed to exude a sort of noble grace that sent tendrils of fear and respect through her. Had she really simply gotten _used_ to this man?

They ate, talked, sparred, and had classes with each other everyday. They even lived in the same dojo! They were partners, but now Sakura could really appreciate how differently Syaoran treated her compared to everyone else. The person who had ruthlessly beaten her black and blue her first day at the Academy had molded and shaped into someone else, into a Syaoran who was furiously exacting retribution against Furukawa for her sake, into a Syaoran she cared deeply for.

He was usually civil with their friends and classmates… but Sakura pitied the poor student who had dared to cross Li Syaoran. His folly would be paid back tenfold.

With a fast, crushing kick, Syaoran sent Furukawa flying into the air, but he wasn't done. Not allowing him to recover, or to even land on the ground, the young Li prodigy continued his attack, appearing suddenly behind the airborne student and slamming him into the ground with an elbow to his face.

Sakura couldn't help the upward twinge of her lips, even though the movement in her cheeks hurt her. Furukawa would have a bruise just like hers. Wasn't Syaoran taking an eye for an eye a little bit too seriously? But still, she felt her own anger melt away at the sight of her partner taking revenge on her behalf. It felt strangely liberating to see him defending her with so much determination.

"Poor guy," Yamazaki murmured.

"Serves him right," Andou snickered, clapping and cheering loudly as Gaoran announced their comrade as the winner of the second challenge.

It was a satisfied Syaoran that returned to Sakura's side. "How are you feeling?" he asked, taking Eriol's place in supporting her since she was still not quite steady on her feet.

"A little dizzy," Sakura admitted. Suddenly, her face erupted into a beaming smile, which it refused to fade away in spite of the pain. "My face feels absolutely horrible thanks to you and Furukawa though."

"And why is that my fault?" he asked, amused.

"Stop making me smile, idiot," she murmured, a blush coloring her complexion slightly. Already she was feeling better. "It makes the bruise burn like hell."

Syaoran's face darkened. "I should have hit him harder," he growled angrily.

"Stop flirting," Eriol cut in, in a low voice. "The others are beginning to stare."

They immediately sprang apart, while the sapphire-eyed first rank just laughed good-naturedly. "Actually, only Tomoyo-san is staring, but still some extra caution never hurt. They're about to announce the third challenge."

"Another one?" Sakura sighed irritably. She was beginning to think that she'd had more than enough experience with challenges. Surely Furukawa wasn't the only one with nasty things to say about her _now_. Her defeat had been by far the most humiliating of them all.

"This is already the second task that we have assigned you. As such, both I and your teachers expect that you have already becoming accustomed to them," Gaoran said to the crowd of students. "Now, they will become an almost daily occurrence. In the event of a larger-scale task, classes may be canceled, but otherwise, you are to continue with lessons as usual. The noblemen and ladies have already begun to arrive and will be staying in the guest quarters at the northern side of the Academy. Starting tomorrow they will be an official audience, and therefore wearing the school uniform at each task is now a requirement."

Some of the boys shifted nervously. Noblemen and ladies would mean that a great many of their own parents would be coming to view the challenges as well. Next to her, Sakura heard Andou groan softly.

"The tasks for the rest of this week are as follows: archery, staff fighting, form technique, followed by various academic examinations, which will take place in the evening," Gaoran paused at the stir among the students. "_Yes_, I said examinations. One decent mind is worth ten muscled bodies. Never forget the importance of mental fortitude.

"I will now announce the top scores.

Li – 30

Furukawa – 28

Hiiragizawa – 27

Matsura – 26

Honda – 26

Asakura – 25

Matsumoto – 24

Kino – 24

Kouno – 22

Himura – 21.

The rest of the scores are to be posted shortly along the south end of the Main Hall. That is all. Dismiss."

"Why…" Sakura trailed off in confusion.

"You were marked well for the portion you remained conscious for," Syaoran answered dryly. "See how high Eriol was ranked despite losing the first round? You did well against Furukawa even if he did knock you out in the end."

She groaned, uncertain whether she was pleased or not by the news. A part of her had been hoping to slip back into nameless obscurity after tonight. She was flattered by the judges' high scores, but Sakura wasn't sure she enjoyed all the attention she was now procuring from the rest of the students. Was this really how Syaoran felt like all the time? Watched, and forced to live up to his distinguished name? She felt a new spark of admiration for the way her partner held up so well under pressure.

Sakura shivered on impulse as the pair of wooden brown eyes slid over her. Automatically, she turned to look at Gaoran, but his back was already facing her and he was leaving the room.

"Kino! Kino! KINO!!!" Andou howled, tearing into the room. Sakura, who hadn't even noticed that he'd left at all, stared in surprise.

"What is it?" she asked, not understanding why he looked so breathless yet excited at the same time.

"The rankings just came out," he panted. "I rushed over there as fast as I could and Li's in first place."

The group of friends cheered a bit, but none of them were very surprised. It was an expected result.

"Is that it?" Syaoran asked blandly.

"Well, Hiiragizawa's in second, and that bastard Furukawa is third, but Kino – you're in fourth place!"

He beamed at her so brightly that Sakura had to look away, a blush springing to her cheeks. She resisted the urge to hide behind Syaoran and instead whacked the excited Andou over the head with her fist. "Stop making such a big deal about it. As soon as the math examination rolls around, just watch if I don't slide way back into last place."

They all, with the exception of Syaoran, who nevertheless appeared amused, laughed, but her friends were not deterred from encouraging her.

"No seriously though Kino," Yamazaki said suddenly. "It's one thing for Hiiragizawa and Li to be at the top – they're first ranks, but you're cruising with the best of them! _You_!"

"I'm flattered that you think so highly of me," Sakura teased sarcastically, trying to lighten the mood. So much attention was making her uncomfortable. "But forget about me… are any of your parents coming? To watch, that is."

The reactions to her question were varied. Eriol's answer was a bright, prompt "No!", but Andou scowled and nodded while Yamazaki grinned sheepishly. Apparently a good majority of fathers would be attending the competitions to see the prestigious Academy as well as visit their sons at the same time.

Finally Syaoran said, "We should head back to the dojo Kino. It's getting late."

Sakura's smile was stiff because of the bruise on her face, but she managed somehow. She was happy because she understood the unspoken words following his statement. _It's getting late and you should rest_.

While she felt slightly irritated by his babying of her, the concern in his tone touched her. "See you guys later," she said, waving at everyone as they left.

As they walked side by side in the cool evening darkness, Sakura shyly reached out and took his hand in her own, intertwining their fingers hesitantly.

He looked at her silently.

"Um…" she was grateful for the darkness that hid her blush. "Thank you for… today."

Syaoran snorted, but when Sakura looked tentatively up at him, she thought she could see a small smile in the dim starlight.

"Furukawa simply received the thrashing he deserved. It's really a good thing that you're female," he said straightforwardly. "Or his knee would have hurt more than his elbow."

"Syaoran!" she laughed, flustered. "It felt weird enough having to feign pain… and I feel stupid enough for being caught off guard long enough to get knocked out. Stop reminding me would you?"

He laughed before gently taking hold of her chin and tilting it upwards to inspect her wound. "I haven't been that angry in a long time," he admitted. "Does it hurt when I do this?" He scraped his thumb across her cheek in a feather-light touch.

Sakura hissed a bit, but her eyes never left his. "I'll survive. It's not as if I'm not to used to bruising thanks to you and your-"

He swooped down and kissed her softly, and Sakura found that she really didn't care about Furukawa or the competitions or what the hell anyone else thought anymore.

-------------------

It was with a heavy heart that Sakura slipped silently out of the dojo that night. The guilt grew with each noiseless step she took, but still it was too late for her to back down. If the nobles and dignitaries were arriving soon security would be tightened to an unimaginable degree, so she would have to take advantage of what little chance she had before it became impossible to move around at night.

She spared the dojo one last quick glance before disappearing behind a line of buildings, but it proved to be a mistake as the pain in her chest intensified exponentially.

_Syaoran…_

Sakura hated herself. But still, she hated Gaoran more, and with that in mind she returned to the task at hand, and crept stealthily towards her destination: his rooms.

Her pulse increased slightly as she neared the front doors, but she forced herself forward, slipping into the large building, careful not to make a sound. It was time to familiarize herself with the enemy.

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**So how is that for a chapter? I won't go into too much detail about each and every challenge though I can think about plenty of juicy situations to stick SxS into. But I really wanted to put this one in because I thought it'd be nice to show how much Syaoran really cares about Sakura.**

**Anyhow, leave me a comment and tell me what you thought about my writing!**

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baka - idiot

Syaoran finds out she's from the south, misunderstands her, and throws her out of his sight. Sakura, hurt and guilty, hides out in the Academy somewhere else, broken hearted but still not giving up her duty to avenge her parents.


	22. Kino Kurasama

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly the property of CLAMP.**

**Haha, how's everyone doing? I'm doing **_**splendid**_** – absolutely FANTABULISTIC!!! Yeah, SAT II's are tomorrow. Let's pray that I don't screw up too badly. **

**But on a more cheerful note, I'm still updating! Really, I can hardly believe it myself. ;)**

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Twenty Two**

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A slender, auburn-haired girl squatted low in the shade of several trees, staring out from between the bushes in front of her. As of that moment, Squad A had been sitting in the dirt and dust for nearly two hours, waiting for the enemy teams, which had yet to arrive. Kinomoto Sakura was aggravated.

"Well, at least there's shade," she grumbled to herself.

"Are they really coming?" the boy next to her groaned. Andou stretched, dropped his weapon to his side, and lay flat on his back. "Maybe I should just take a nap… they won't be able to find us in here anyways."

Sakura glared down at him irritably and poked his stomach hard with the butt of her bow. "If Syaoran says that the enemy group is going to be sent down this way then they're going to come. Get _up_ you lazy dog."

Her spiky haired friend merely flashed her a lazy grin before sitting up. "You know Kino, you really trust Li don't you?"

She frowned at him. "Of course I do. Don't you? He's second only to Eriol-san when it comes to military tactics you know."

"I don't mean it like that. I trust his skill and his judgment when it comes to ability and insight and all, but I meant him as a person," Andou shifted so that he could survey the area the other team was supposed to come through with one eye and yet still speak normally with Sakura.

"Well…" she trailed off, confused. "I don't really understand what you're saying."

He grinned. "I think we're all surprised – well, maybe Hiiragizawa wasn't, but there were bets going around during your first week here whether or not you would survive a whole seven days in the same dojo as Li."

Sakura stared.

He fidgeted under her disbelieving gaze and pulled some blades of grass from the ground. "It hurts my pride to say it, I guess, but I'm pretty sure it was the same for most of all the guys. Until you came around Li was – how do I say this? He was – uh, really, no… Li kind of – no, not that either –"

"Just spit it out would you?" she said helpfully.

Andou scowled at her. "Oh alright then. We were all scared stiff of the guy. The first day you showed up for Yue's lesson and got partnered with him I figured you were a dead man walking. But then he was almost _nice_ to you your first day here… _why_ he was I have no clue, but you seemed to interest him, and then all of a sudden you two started bickering like a pair of children… and now I wonder whether you're even closer to him than Eriol is. It's just _weird_."

"Is it really?" Sakura scrunched her eyebrows, not really seeing what the big deal was. "Are you sure it's not that he's actually a nice guy but none of you ever got to know him? I mean, I _live _with him, so maybe that gives me some sort of advantage."

Sure, both Eriol and even Mei Ling had mentioned how much Syaoran had changed after she came along, but Sakura honestly couldn't see him much differently. He was fairly merciless towards her whenever they sparred and such – but then an image of his menacing, unflinching expression as he beat Furukawa to a pulp surfaced in her mind and she shivered a little. She had never been on the receiving end of _that_ Syaoran.

"It is, _really_ weird," he sighed. "And no, it's not that we haven't tried to get to know him. I guess you wouldn't be able to tell unless you saw him before you came to the Academy, which is impossible. But you – you're almost _normal_, and he was this ice block, a self-efficient, unsympathetic fighting instrument of _infallibility_… you honestly have no idea how weird it is. He didn't crack jokes, even with Eriol, and he barely tolerated the rest of us. I guess what I want to ask is this... What exactly did you _do_ to him?"

Sakura shifted slightly and turned her eyes toward the field, feeling off balance. It had felt odd when Mei Ling had asked her this question and now she felt awkward. What had she done? It was difficult to say, since she'd never really seen her partner the way everyone else apparently had seen him. Of course, their sudden change in relationship might have something to do with _his _transformation.

"I didn't do anything. Syaoran is a very decent friend and my being forced upon him as both a partner and co-occupant of his dojo is likely the catalyst of our closeness," she answered, purposely glossing over all the details. "I'm certain that I couldn't possible be the only cause of this 'change' you keep talking about. Eriol has probably been encouraging him to be less of a stand-offish prick for a long time already."

Andou remained unconvinced. "No, no I don't think that's it. Maybe you aren't aware of it yourself… but there's definitely something special about you, which is why Li treats you so differently from the rest of us."

The conversation was shifting into touchy territory. Sakura jabbed the red, chalk tip of one of her arrows at him, stopping barely a centimeter from his nose. "Stop saying stupid things and pay attention."

Her companion recognized the fluster in her expression and grinned. "Honestly you're so cute sometimes Kino."

Disconcerted, Sakura immediately blushed and began sputtering, but Andou cut her off smoothly by ruffling her hair fondly.

"Yep, cute little Kino. But don't take it so hard; you know we all dote on you," he teased.

"Stop saying stuff like that, I'm still a guy you know!" she huffed, hiding the evidence her embarrassment by staring determinedly through the bushes, pretending to check for enemies.

Andou laughed. "Hey, I was just-"

Whatever he was "just", she didn't have the time to learn, because at that moment some movement over by the edge of the trees caught her eye, and she grabbed her friend by the collar of his gi, pulling him roughly to the ground. Then with lightening speed she drew her arrow into her bow and began firing away at the small group of students who had appeared from around the bend. They were in retreat from something too far away for her to see, but Sakura wasn't about to give them any respite. Andou merely stared at the scene in surprise.

"What are you doing Andou?" she hissed. "Start shooting!"

"Shit," he cursed as his bowstring snapped when he set his first arrow in.

"Andou!" Sakura hissed, exasperated. She shot another two arrows at the retreating students. The swiftly–moving, cylinders of wood hit their targets, and their dulled tips left red splotches of powder all over the students' uniforms, proof that they had been hit. Three arrow-sized hits meant that they would be counted "dead" and no longer part of the challenge.

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed through the air past Sakura's ear, barely missing her. She ducked quickly, and Andou, who had finished repairing his bow, fired a return shot in the direction the attack had come from.

"Why are there _two_ groups? I thought Li said that there would only be one group he'd chase in this direction!" he complained loudly as they restarted their offensive.

Sakura smiled as Squad A's main group came charging in, carrying large wooden sticks with sand bags fastened to each end. There was red powder on the bags as well, so that when they began whacking the other squad with them, large splats of powdery red would be left in their wake.

"Stop whining, our main group his here. Did you pick off the sniper?" she asked.

Andou frowned. "He hasn't shot a single arrow since, but I'm not sure."

"Wait for me then," she told him, before turning and climbing up one of the trees. They could afford being a bit more open now that the rest of their team was there. Squinting, Sakura surveyed the area carefully, especially the spots where foliage was the thickest.

Almost immediately, an arrow shot out of a tree a good fifteen feet away, aimed for the main group. It was a smart move. In all the commotion at the bottom, they wouldn't be able to tell what direction the attack was coming from. If all went well, no one would notice until several more from Sakura's squad were picked off.

Fitting her arrow and aiming carefully in the direction the other squad's shooter was hiding, Sakura let her thin arrow fly, and heard with satisfaction a surprised student fall to the ground with a loud "oof!". Underneath her, Andou continued her attack without delay, and shot several more arrows in that direction, just to make sure they got him.

After a few more minutes, many grumbling students walked out into the open, their hands up in the air. They all sat together in the center, red spots of various sizes coloring their formerly clean uniforms.

Sakura counted carefully. Three from Squad A had been taken down, but Squad B and C had faired much worse. It appeared as if all except for the team leader of C, Eriol, had already been hit, and perhaps ten of the twelve in B were already pouting on the floor, their hands raised. Comparatively, Syaoran, Yamazaki, Kudou, Sadaharu, Kikumaru, Nishikawa, Andou, and herself were still in the game.

Keeping her weapon close at hand, Sakura disappeared more fully into the leaves and branches of the tree she was hiding in. "You go out and meet with Syaoran and the rest, and tell them where I am. I'll stay and see if I can find the rest of them. They should all be moving to this area now if they aren't already here."

"Roger. Good luck, Kino. Don't get shot or else our plan will go up in smoke!" Andou replied cheerfully before setting out at a jog towards Squad A, which was quickly moving to a less conspicuous area.

Again, several arrows shot out of a different set of bushes elsewhere, hoping to catch Andou off guard and supposing that he was their only sniper, and Sakura aimed her own weapon in their direction, successfully hitting the enemy several times, long enough for the rest of her teammates to go and thump him or them with their wooden weapons. To Sakura's glee, Furukawa and Matsura emerged from the wooded area, scowling and flanked by both Kikumaru and Yamazaki who were grinning as widely as widely as she was.

Unfortunately, she was cut off in mid-snicker as an arrow hit her straight in the back, causing her to fall from the tree, face-first into the dirt below. Sakura cursed softly. That had been painful. Even if the wooden tips were dull, getting hit still hurt and falling from trees hurt even more. Wincing, she checked the back of her uniform and grimaced at the red mark that marred her formerly clean record. "Damn Eriol-san," she whispered.

She waited carefully, crouched low to the ground, as she knew Eriol would be forced to move closer if he wanted to finish her off. Sakura had two more hits she could risk. As if on cue, she heard soft footsteps creeping stealthily up behind her. A smirk found its way to her lips.

3…

2…

Sakura unsheathed the knife at her waist, and with it slashed a rope tied to the heavy tree root beside her.

1!

"WHAT THE-!!"

Laughing, Sakura stood to her feet and replaced her knife in its scabbard. Mission complete. Picking up her bow, she walked gingerly over to where Eriol was hung up in the air by his feet. "Having fun Eriol-san?" she asked cheerfully. Quickly, she took an arrow and pressed it firmly to his back in three different spots. "There. Now I can untie you. Hold still for a moment!"

The team leader of Squad B fell to the floor fairly gracefully, considering the fact that he had been hung upside down just a few seconds before.

Sighing, he dusted his pants off. "Who thought of that trap?" he asked ruefully.

"Syaoran said that we needed a trap to get you, but I was the one who thought that one up. It's one we use a lot back at home to catch undesirable intruders," she answered as the two of them walked out of the trees and towards everyone else. "You're the last one by the way."

"Oh?" Eriol asked conversationally, already resigned to his team's fate. "That's interesting. I've studied almost all Northern military defense tactics, but I've never heard of anything quite like this one."

Sakura swallowed the sudden lump that had risen to her throat and tried to keep her cool. She faked a laugh. "Well of course there is, you just haven't heard of it _yet_. It's a local trick, so it's not very well known… there's everyone."

"You got him?" Syaoran asked, a satisfied smirk on his face as he watched Sakura nod affirmatively.

"Excellent!" Andou yelled, pounding his fists in the air animatedly. "Told you we'd smoke your sorry ass, Honda."

"Ah, shut it Andou," a boy sitting cross-legged on the ground, grumbled.

"The winner is Squad A then?" Gaoran walked onto the scene, nodding appreciatively. "It makes me glad to see that your skills has a military commander have improved, Syaoran." The rest of the judges and teachers were coming out onto the field as well, followed by a somewhat diminished crowd of noblemen, since most of their ladies had opted not to spend the afternoon in the sun to watch a game of hide-and-go-seek-like military "battle".

Sakura felt her insides churn at his statement. It reminded her of their plan to make Syaoran their "General". Automatically, she forced herself to look away from him before she began glowering.

"We will announce the scores for today's challenge tonight during dinner, before the start of our next social event," Gaoran said, and the boys stirred slightly at his words. "Yes, you heard me correctly," he continued unsympathethically. "Simply because the Academy is now taking part in these challenges does not mean that we may neglect the students of the Daidouji Institute. Do not forget that the results of these tasks affect not only your standing in the Academy but also your chances of winning the title of "Lord" at the spring hanamatsuri. Today's challenge is finished, so return to your rooms and prepare for your evening lessons. Tonight's event will take place in the banquet hall. You may all leave now."

The students were about to disperse as the teachers and spectators began to leave, but to their surprise Yukito-sensei stayed back and came over to their group, smile on his face. "You all did very well," he told them cheerfully. "I know Gaoran-san told you that there are evening lessons today, but why don't you all take the day off? I have some… business that I would like to take care of myself."

"Is that really okay, Yukito-san?" Sakura yelped happily, bounding over to her friend and teacher's side. Already she was envisioning another afternoon with Syaoran, working on Clow's scrolls. They'd made startling progress in the past few weeks, and already Sakura had begun to attempt the sixth step of her Sakura Dance. It was amazing, considering she'd remained stagnant at the third step for over four years before she'd come to the Academy.

"Yes, Kura-san," he laughed, turning around to leave. "It's really alright. Enjoy your free time boys!"

The students cheered, and even those who'd lost the competition whooped loudly.

"Syaoran," Sakura grinned at him. "Let's-"

"Hey, how's this for an idea?" Andou announced suddenly, cutting Sakura off before she could suggest that she and her partner return to their dojo. "Why don't we throw a party? It's about time we actually had some fun with just us guys. I feel like celebrating!"

They laughed out loud. "And what might we be celebrating Andou?" Eriol asked.

"Do we need a reason? Wait- no, I got it. Why don't we celebrate Squad A's victory?! Losers are welcome to come if they'd like, of course."

"How generous," Furukawa said dryly.

They all glared. "On second thought," Andou growled. "It's not an open invitation after all. All _non-bastards_ are free to attend."

"Where're we going to have it? Our rooms are too small for all of us," Kikumaru remarked, spotting the immediate problem.

"Uhh…" their loud, obnoxious friend was at a loss. "I guess we could always sneak into one of the old buildings? There are at least three I know how to get into…"

"And risk getting caught because Furukawa the snitch has been listening to us the whole time?" Yamazaki frowned. "I think not."

"I have an idea," Eriol said brightly. "Why don't we have the party at Li and Kino's dojo? There's plenty of space there, and we won't even have to break into any old buildings. Kura-san doesn't mind, right?"

Sakura started, surprised but not necessarily displeased. Practice could be put off for later… besides, a party sounded like fun. It would be a nice chance to simply relax and have a good time. "Don't ask me," she pointed to Syaoran meaningfully. "Ask _him_. It's technically _his_ dojo, not mine."

All eyes turned silently to the youngest Li brother as he stood and dusted off his clothes. Casting them a nonchalant stare, he merely said, "Don't touch anything but the guest room."

They all cheered.

----------------

"I'm surprised," Sakura teased gently as the two of them opened the fusuma doors of the outermost guest room. "Oh, this is nice. I didn't know that this room had direct access to the back porch."

"What are you surprised about?" Syaoran asked brusquely, grabbing the top few layers of zabutons from a pile in the corner of the room and placing them around the room.

"That you actually agreed. I distinctly remember Yamazaki mentioning how much you disliked parties and social gatherings… and we're having _both_ today," she giggled. It was strange watching him move so mechanically around the room, putting cushions on the floor, since usually such jobs were left to the servants. Today, however, they were all busy getting ready for the dinner and event. Things had to be much more fancy and proper now that all the high-ranking dignitaries from the North had arrived.

To her surprise, as he passed by her, his hand shot out and snagged her wrist, pulling her towards him, so that just as he sat down on a cushion she fell straight into his lap.

"Ouch!" she whined, trying to play off the blush that had automatically risen to her cheeks. "What was that for?"

"I'm simply answering your question," he told her, the barest hint of a smile on his lips. Taking her face into his hands, Syaoran kissed her softly.

"H-how," Sakura stuttered when she remembered to breathe again. His warm breath was tickling her face. "How is that answering my question?"

He smirked at her. "I believe I hated parties all the way up until a _certain_ night where a mysterious girl in a mask agreed to spend the night with me, dancing and playing silly question games."

She too smiled crookedly at the memory. "It is odd, isn't it? You made me _so_ mad that night, but now I think back on that evening with much more pleasure and humor. It is a shame that there's not another masquerade or we might get a chance to dance like that again. I was shocked though, to see you acting so smooth and charming with a girl you didn't know," she teased. "I wanted to ask you that night, but then other _things_ came up." She emphasized 'things' meaningfully. "Are you usually so forward with women?"

"Obviously," he snorted, the sarcasm thick in his voice. "They make up my most intimate social circle."

"Well _I_-"

"You are an exception," he finished simply. "Now stop with the incessant questioning and get off of me unless you want people to wonder what's going on between us."

"People?" Sakura asked, startled. She looked behind her through the open doors of the outer guest room and all but jumped off of her partner's lap as Andou, Yamazaki, and the rest of their friends came into view. "You _really_ couldn't just tell me nicely? Or even give me fair warning?" Sakura hissed at him, moving quickly to a zabuton nearby.

Syaoran shrugged, an amused expression in his eyes. "Your reaction is very entertaining."

She felt a familiar spark of irritation ignite within her. "_Why_ are you always like that? I am **not** here to entertain you!" she grumbled unhappily.

"I did not say that that was your _purpose_, merely that you happen to entertain me."

"You-!!" She lunged; he dodged.

The view that greeted Sakura's classmates as they walked excitedly up the steps to the dojo swiftly caused a rather awkward silence to fall upon the group, which held for a good thirty seconds before the hostess of the party could recover. Their host was too busy refusing to laugh out loud, his face contorting slightly with the effort, to be of any use.

"Ah!" she screeched, jumping up from her sprawled position on Syaoran's lap. "It's not what it looks like! It's not what it looks like! I swear!"

The only person who appeared unaffected by the odd scene nodded agreeably and went about setting the food they'd brought on the table. "Of course not, Kura-san. But then, might I ask exactly what 'it' does not look like? I'm not entirely sure what you're so upset about." He grinned cheekily at her.

For the first time, Sakura wished Eriol a slow and painful death. "Nothing," she snapped. "Absolutely nothing! What are you all looking at? Sit and drink and party and do whatever you want!" She sat down angrily on a zabuton far away from Syaoran's and Eriol's since she was still mad at the both of them, grabbed a bottle of sake, and immediately began pouring a substantial amount of alcohol into her cup.

The others looked at one another nervously before meekly sitting down themselves. To be certain, seeing girly Kino laying on Li's lap in such an… _indicative_ position was startling, but Kino's reaction was even more bizarre. Nevertheless, none of them dared mention anything of it; no one had every quite figured out what to make of Li and his skinny but fearless partner's little scuffles.

"So – um, why don't we… start with a toast to Squad A's awesome victory?" Andou said before grimacing. He hadn't meant for his words to come out so half-heartedly. "Yes!" he tried again. "Ready everyone?"

A feeble "Kanpai!!" rang out from the group, falling rather flat. The men looked at each other dolefully before quickly downing the liquor swiftly.

"Waahh!!" Sakura giggled softly as she emptied her second cup of alcohol. "Sake is this best!" she looked around at the table covered with food and drinks. "Where did you guys get all of this anyways? Do the kitchen servants really just give it to you?"

Yamazaki grinned. "Not really. But Hiiragizawa has some useful connections with the kitchen staff, so they tend to make exceptions for him whenever we want to have a good time."

"Must be some nice connections," Sakura commented, sighing blissfully. "They even warmed the alcohol up for us. This bottle is quality."

"That's because the bottle _you_ grabbed happens to be one of the Academy's best. I requested one for us, especially for this party so don't hoard it. It's getting harder to get my hands on good sake since all the nobles arrived," Eriol laughed.

The tension of the room began to ease as the drinking and talking picked up. Sakura, not sure whether or not she wanted to remain angry with Syaoran, remained safely on the other side of the table so that she wouldn't have to decide.

"And then you know what Misaki says to me? She says 'Andou Tsubasa!'" he mimicked her high voice. "'If I _ever_ catch you ogling another girl's butt again, I will _personally_ gouge your eyes out!'" He snorted hysterically as the boys around him chuckled. "My Misaki is such a feisty one!"

"Oh? I seem to remember _one_ night where you didn't seem to mind being apart from your _precious Misaki_," Sakura teased. "Something about 'Misaki who?' to a strange, masked lady?"

Laughter erupted around the table at Andou's expense, but the spiky-haired boy was guffawing too. "Hey, hey!" he protested between gasps of air. "I'm still pretty faithful to her _most_ of the time. It was just – you see, that one girl in the mask was _nice_. Nice body and nice mouth, and I'm sure if I could have seen, she would have had a nice face too. I still went to Misaki after though."

Sakura blushed prettily, pleased at the compliment, and wondered what Syaoran thought of their friend's unintentional praise of her appearance. She emptied another cup of sake easily, her head not yet affected by the smooth oblivion of the alcohol, but her tongue loosened quite a bit.

"But how did you know about that?" Kudou asked suddenly, his instincts still sharp despite the large amount of liquor that was clouding his mind. "Where you there with us Kino? I thought someone said you were sick that night… maybe I was wrong."

"No," she said quickly, realizing her mistake. Smiling in an attempt to play off her nervousness, Sakura racked her brain for a decent explanation. "I _was_ sick… at first. I went later and you probably just didn't recognize or notice me. Masquerade and all, remember?"

"Oh… but gee, I was surprised when _Li_ suddenly waltzed in and stole that pretty lady from my arm!" Andou slurred loudly, taking another gulp of sake. "I mean, since when does _the_ Li Syaoran pick up women? I always thought that they were below your time and effort… or didn't you have a gorgeous Chinese fiancée already, Li?"

At the mentioning of Mei Ling, Sakura stiffened perceptively, and Syaoran glared ominously at their drunken friend. "If you drink any more Andou," he stated in a low, threatening voice. "You won't be awake to accept your score later. It _is _your first above a twenty, and wouldn't it be wonderful if your honored Father and Mother, who decided to attend the dinner tonight, were actually able to see you there, accepting that score?"

Andou gulped and fell silent, realizing, even in his inebriated stupor, that he'd stepped out of line with the powerful Li heir.

"Take it easy Syaoran," Eriol intercepted calmly. "After all, it's only true."

"Eriol…" Syaoran growled, but his amber eyes were on Sakura, carefully watching her dejected expression.

"On to happier topics," Hiiragizawa continued tranquilly. "This is a party, so why don't we play some games? Does anyone have any good ideas?"

Across the room, Sakura was berating herself for feeling so conflicted about Mei Ling. She had no right to feel anything but guilty, since technically _she_ was the one causing Syaoran to be unfaithful to his _rightful _fiancée.

"Oh! Oh! Actually no…" Kikumaru racked his brain for ideas. "No, never mind. I thought I had something there."

"You _always_ think you have something," Kudou snorted.

"That's because I _do_ have something most of the time," his friend shot back indignantly. "I'm just a little… sleepy now is all."

Sakura managed a laugh. "Maybe you shouldn't be drinking so much then… here," she grabbed the sake bottle. "Give me that. You and Andou have drunken too much but I don't think I've had enough."

She emptied another two cups in swift succession. Across the room, Syaoran frowned darkly. "Ahh!" she sighed again. "That really hits the spot."

"Did you drink a lot at home too Kino?" Yamazaki observed, chuckling. "I think you've downed more alcohol than the rest of us combined and you're _still_ bordering on sober. It must take a long time to build up that kind of tolerance."

Sakura giggled again. "No, whatever tolerance I have, it's natural. I used to hate drinking. I hated the smell and I hated the taste. I've probably only finished off one large bottle of sake in my entire sixteen years before I came to the Academy."

"Then why is it that you're drinking now?" Syaoran asked softly from his corner.

She smiled at him sadly, her emerald eyes unreadable. "Because sometimes it feels so damn _good_ just to forget."

----------------

In the end, Sakura, Eriol, Syaoran, and Yamazaki (the only ones still vaguely sober after the several hours of intense, non-stop drinking games Andou had insisted upon) were forced to drag the heavy carcasses of their friends out onto the dirt ground, and unceremoniously dumped cold water on them.

"I'm only glad that they were smart enough to not wear their uniforms," Eriol commented grimly. Sakura winced slightly and swayed a bit as she stepped back from her groaning peers, who were slowly regaining consciousness in front of her. Syaoran caught her by her elbow.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

She stiffened slightly at his touch, but relaxed when she realized who it was. "I've been better," she responded, grimacing.

"You should not drink so much in the future," he told her sternly, concern etched into his features.

With a cool, slender finger, Sakura absentmindedly smoothed the crinkles between his eyebrows as he frowned at her. "Okay," she said.

"Shit… I feel like I've been dropped headfirst from a cliff," Andou groaned loudly, rolling over onto his stomach and retching.

"You're cleaning that up later," Syaoran said mercilessly, and Andou groaned again. "Unless you can find a servant willing to clean that up for you and _not_ blab to any of the teachers."

The bodies below them groaned again.

"It's a good thing you all passed out so soon though," Eriol said cheerfully, helping a wheezing Sadaharu up. "We still have about another hour before dinner, so go clean up and try to clear your heads a bit. Kura-san, can you go get them some water?"

Smiling tiredly, Sakura left to do as she was told. When she returned, however, most of the boys were already up and heaving into a large wooden bucket by the side of the dojo.

"It's easier to clean up in a bucket," a disgusted Syaoran explained to her as she approached them.

Sakura laughed a little and went to their sides. "Water?" she offered, holding up a pail and a ladle.

"Thanks Kino, you're a lifesaver," Kikumaru gasped, grabbing the ladle and taking a long drink. "Kami that feels good. He drank some more water before rinsing his mouth and spitting into the grass."

One by one, the boys obediently lined up and drank some water before following suit and spitting, trying to get rid of the vomit taste in their mouth.

"I'm going to head back," Andou choked weakly. "Yamazaki, wake me up in another half hour."

Sakura watched them go, a tiny smile on her face. These were her friends, her charming friends. She felt something in her heart stir. They were loud, obnoxious, and appallingly _male_… but they were hers, and she was beginning to think that she loved them.

She sighed. Operation 'Stay Unattached' was a failure. Inwardly, Sakura began berating herself for her foolish actions. Drinking so much, though she still retained some control of herself, was not a good idea, especially because of her position as a woman from the South. Emotions were going to be the cause of her downfall if she wasn't careful.

"You ought to go lay down for a bit too," her partner came quietly to her side as the others began to shuffle off.

"Are you going to sleep?" she asked him.

He stared down at her with smoldering, amber eyes. "No."

"Then I'm not going to either," Sakura told him simply, standing straight and stretching, her arms reaching as high as they would go. "What should we do while we wait?"

Syaoran made a small, irritated noise in the back of his throat, his gaze moving back towards the dojo. "First we clean up the mess."

Sakura turned reluctantly towards the open guest room and made a face. "Do we have to?"

"You're the one who wanted a party."

"And _you_ are the one who gave us the okay," she shot back.

They fell silent.

"So… clean up then?" she asked in a tired voice.

Syaoran nodded wordlessly and moved towards the dojo.

----------------

The main hall cheered loudly as Squad A rose when Gaoran announced their scores at the end of dinner.

Sakura watched with an amused smile as her classmates became visibly more rigid and formal than normal, their eyes darting occasionally at the table where their parents were seated. Next to her, Andou was nearly trembling from the effort to not only remain upright (after all of that sake), but also to look the part of a nobleman's son.

"Good for you," she whispered to him in encouragement, and he smiled weakly at her.

Automatically, Sakura drifted over to Eriol and Syaoran's side as the Northern aristocrats converged and began complimenting each other's sons on their achievement. She looked on wistfully, a sudden, twisting pang of longing rendered her momentarily speechless as she watched Yamazaki's mother smile at her child proudly. Her mother would never again smile at her or at anything else.

"Congratulations, Li-kun," said a tall, regal-looking man dressed in a long, man's kimono adorned by a clan symbol Sakura thought looked familiar but did not recognize. His imperious voice boomed. "As expected as a son of the Li Clan."

Syaoran bowed slightly. "You do my family and I too much honor," he responded respectfully.

"Oh, ever the modest one isn't he, Andou!" Another large man, this one noticeably fatter, lounged over, a wide grin on his face. "But good for all of our sons! I believe this task in particular was a difficult one. And look who's here! Tsubasa-kun! How are you? I haven't seen you in years!"

Andou bowed incredibly low incredibly quickly, causing the fathers to laugh again. "Kikumaru-sama! It is an honor to see you again. I have been well."

"Very good, very good my boy."

Sakura could not help but grin at how flustered so many of her friends looked.

"And who might you two be? I'm afraid that I don't quite recognize either of you," Andou's father said kindly, an apologetic smile on his face. "I do not get out very often, and I seem to have neglected both your families."

"Ah!" Sakura squeaked, startled that she was being spoken to. Even as she rushed to think of an appropriate response, part of her wondered at how cheerful and friendly these Northern nobles seemed. Were they really the same ruthless barons she had heard about in the South? "Ah, no sir. Otou-sama is rather secluded up in our estate, and I only joined the Academy this year," she explained quickly. "My name is Kino Kura. My father is the Duke Kino."

"And I," Eriol said with a smile. "Am merely a cousin of Syaoran's. Hiiragizawa Eriol at your service."

"Good evening gentleman," a cool, female voice spoke, causing everyone to turn. Sakura felt a familiar wave of respect wash over her as she watched Syaoran's honored mother walking smoothly into the group of nobles, looking like a queen in her black and white, Chinese-style kimono. Even the colorful fabrics of the other ladies paled in comparison to her commanding presence.

"Li-sama," they chorused, bowing.

Seeing her chance to escape, Sakura gave Syaoran a grin before slipping out towards the exit. As the son of Li Yelan he had no choice but to stay, but that didn't mean she would willingly suffer with him. Now that she knew exactly who and where Gaoran was, there was no need to bring herself needlessly closer to any more high-ranking enemy dignitaries. Eriol seemed perfectly at ease, however, and he waved genially at her as she left the main hall.

As soon as she stepped outside, Sakura was immediately surrounded by a group of girls smiling coyly at her. They came up to her innocently, fiddling with their ornamental fans and batting their eyelashes. Needless to say, it was incredibly unnerving.

"Um," Sakura managed, puzzled and uncomfortable. "May I help you ladies?"

"We just wanted to introduce ourselves," one brunette to her right gushed excitedly. "We've been watching you at all of the competitions, Kino-san, and I must tell you that I thought you were amazing."

"Currently ranked seventh in the race for Lord of the hanamatsuri!" another girl shrieked.

"My name is Koizumi Hinako," a pretty girl with long, wavy black hair said, bowing slightly at Sakura. "It's a pleasure to finally speak to you in person."

"Hinako-chan, he's mine!" her friend protested loudly.

"Watch your language Miaybi-_san_, I'm sure Kino-san has his sights set on someone a bit more… ladylike than you."

Sakura felt her face grow warm. Was this what all of them were here for? Her emerald eyes darted around the crowd of females, trying to find an escape route. There was none. She was surrounded.

"Won't you attend tonight's party with me?" the brunette quipped again, moving so that she blocked Hinako and her friend from view.

This was ridiculous. The girl was taller than even she was – surely that was to her disadvantage? Why weren't they leaving her alone? She'd never gone out of her way to attract any female attention! "W-Well, you see I…"

"Stop harassing my friend girls," a sweet voice interrupted them and, to Sakura's amazement, the girls parted directly, creating a path for the two new arrivals.

"You all sound like a bunch of desperate ninnies," Mei Ling sniffed, striding haughtily past them all. "Poor Kino-kun. He's my Syaoran's friend so you had all best keep your claws to yourself."

"Congratulations Kino-kun," Tomoyo beamed at her best friend. "I've heard the great news. Won't you walk with me for a while? We have another hour or so before the evening festivities begin. I heard that there will be a special performance tonight."

"You're the best Tomoyo-chan," Sakura grinned at the two girls, relieved. "You too, Mei Ling-san."

The Chinese beauty flipped her hair arrogantly. "Yes, I know," she teased. "But more importantly, you wouldn't happen to know where Syaoran is would you, Kino-kun? I've been looking for him everywhere."

Sakura felt her high spirits fading just a bit, replaced by feelings of self-reproach. "Yes… he's in the main hall, greeting all the important people in there. You'd better go see if you can save him from a night of kissing up to all those honorable fathers and mothers."

Mei Ling beamed at her. "Thanks, I'll do that."

Almost immediately, Tomoyo seized her arm and began pulling her away from the scene, giggling rather forcefully.

"Stop laughing at me Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura protested, her cheeks burning at the memory of those twenty-some girls all trying to win her affections. "It was really, _really_ weird and not fun at all."

Her amethyst-eyed cousin merely giggled again.

"So what do you want to do now?" Sakura asked curiously. "Shouldn't you be getting ready or something? I'm sure Eriol-san is looking forward to seeing you tonight." It was with great glee that she saw her friend begin to chew on her lip nervously.

Tomoyo blushed a little. "Yes, I suppose so, but there's something more important to do right now."

"More important than Eriol-_kun_?" Sakura teased knowingly.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Tomoyo snapped, her cheeks already blazing with color. "And will you please _stop_ about me and Eriol-_san_? I keep telling you that… it's not quite like that between us…"

"Yet," she finished merrily.

"I'd watch out if I were you, Sakura-chan," the Daidouji heiress said warningly. "I might not take it easy on you tonight."

Sakura stopped walking, whirling around to meet her friend eye for eye. "Tonight? I thought there weren't _going_ to be any more 'tonight's after the last one."

"You thought wrong," Tomoyo answered in a singsong voice.

"And what makes you think I'd go along with this?" she demanded almost angrily.

"Oh well, you don't have to of course," the pale-skinned beauty smiled calculatingly. "But I certainly won't come to _Kino-kun_'s rescue tonight when Miyabi-san and Hinako-san decide that it's time to put plan 'win Kino Kura-sama's heart' into action."

Sakura grimaced. "You're not serious."

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**Oh yes, Sakura-chan, Tomoyo is **_**very**_** serious. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! And unfortunately, I am too. Yes, that's all there is for this week, and I apologize because I know that nothing really happened at all. I'm surprised that I was even able to cough up so many words, but I wanted to leave my precious plot for a week where I could do **_**more**_** than just eat, breathe, and study for exams. I hope you all understand.**

**But anyways, … yeah, the caffeine – it does things to you. Haha, but anyhow, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I really debated whether including the actual night in this chapter… but it's already getting ridiculously long, so I decided to keep it for next time. Forgive me? :D I know much didn't really happen… but it's a happy filler?**

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fusuma- opaque sliding door

zabuton – seat cushion

kanpai – cheers!

Otou-sama – honored father

Kami – God

They were all sons of a military academy. They could handle her being female, but they'd never forgive her for being from the South – the enemy.

Syaoran gets jealous of other guys hitting on Sakura.

Tomoyo spirited Sakura away.

Syaoran finds out she's from the south, misunderstands her, and throws her out of his sight. Sakura, hurt and guilty, hides out in the Academy somewhere else, broken hearted but still not giving up her duty to avenge her parents.


	23. Not What I Expected

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Ugh… I just got out of my first exam exactly twenty minutes ago, and so my brain is absolutely fried, but hey, at least it's over. **

… **or something like that. Haha. Thanks for all the reviews! They fuel my passion for writing, so keep sending them my way and I'll keep writing! xD**

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Twenty Three**

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Sakura schooled her facial expression carefully, and her emerald eyes turned suspiciously blank as Tomoyo threw the group of girls a resentful glare and took her friend's arm, leading her away from the party scene. The faux younger sister of Tsukishiro Yukito struggled to ignore the stares she was getting from everyone around her.

Ignoring the amethyst-eyed girl's worried questions, a soaking wet Sakura shivered and exhaled shakily. _How had things turned out so badly? _

The night had begun well enough. After being dolled up by Tomoyo and slipping into a gorgeous, light green kimono that accented her eyes, Sakura had once again donned the black wig and had meshed into the bright lights and chatter like a pretty wallflower. She'd been infinitely amused when, almost immediately, she was introduced by Eriol to all of her friends as "Tsukishiro Sakura, Yukito-sensei's younger sister and the mysterious beauty Syaoran had whisked off during the masquerade party". How the sly sapphire-eyed first rank had known about that evening Sakura wasn't sure, but she could not help but find humor in the situation as once again her classmates attempted to woo her, this time to her face.

"_So…" Andou asked curiously, standing a respectable distance from her since his precious Misaki was attached to his arm and glancing apprehensively from him to Sakura. "I wonder why Tsukishiro-sensei never mentioned you to us before. Are you expecting Li to whisk you off to somewhere again?"_

_Sakura laughed nervously, torn between fits of giggles and running away as Kikumaru and Kudou eyed her both appreciatively and suggestively. It was so _**weird**_ that her friends would ever look at her _that way_, since most of the time they were bent on beating her silly during lessons and sparring. _

"_My name is Sadaharu," the bulky boy next to her said loudly, so nervous that he bowed too close to her and would have smashed his skull into her brain had not Yamazaki acted quickly and pulled her out of harm's way. _

_Sakura grimaced and did her best to make her large, not-too-bright classmate back off without hurting his feelings. "Nice to meet you, Sadaharu-san. Would any of you happen to know where Li-kun is?" The –kun slipped easily from her lips, and Sakura blushed at the endearing suffix. _

"_Oh, so you are expecting him?" Kikumaru pouted, crestfallen. "Well, I thought that I'd let you know that I think you're really pretty, Tsukishiro-san."_

"_Please call me Sakura," she laughed, both amused and slightly embarrassed at the same time. "And no- I wasn't expecting him, not really."_

"_Uh oh, now you've done it Sakura-san," Yamazaki's brown-haired date giggled. "They'll be all over you now that they know you're unattached."_

_Sakura flushed. "Oh, well I don't think­-"_

"_Well, I suppose she could always use the fact that Tsukishiro-sensei is her older brother to her advantage if she ever needed them to keep their hands to themselves," Misaki joked, and they all giggled appreciatively. _

"Oh, now that I think about it, we haven't been introduced properly, have we? I'm Chiharu, and this is Misaki, and we're both students of the Daidouji Institute. Yamazaki-kun is my fiancé, and Andou-kun had better be planning on asking Misaki-chan soon. It's very nice to meet you, Sakura-chan," the brunette on Yamazaki's arm smiled, bowing slightly.

_Sakura returned the gesture, liking the two girls already. After living with only men and the occasional visit from Tomoyo-chan for so long, she was craving female companionship. She smiled brightly. Maybe she'd have fun tonight after all. _

"_Well since you're not really expecting him, how's about you spend the evening with me?" Kikumaru asked, putting his arm around her shoulders. Sakura started at the sudden contact. Her friends were _bold. _Back at home, no male, noble-born or not, had touched her so familiarly. _

"_W-What?" she stuttered, feeling uncomfortable. "Don't you have someone else to spend the evening with? You really don't need to bother with me."_

"_Take that arm off of her Kikumaru."_

_The blood began to drain from the poor second rank's face. "Please, please, __**please**__ don't tell me that's Li," he whispered to Yamazaki who was staring over his shoulder with wide eyes. Yamazaki's attention snapped back towards Kikumaru, and he flashed his friend a sad sort of smile. _

"_Sorry, it's Li."_

"_Take. That. Hand. Off. Of. Her," Syaoran repeated, his voice dripping with promises of pain. _

_Sakura could not help but sigh with relief as she turned her head and gazed back at her handsome partner, a coy smile on her lips. _

_Kikumaru let go of her almost immediately, jumping to the side and lifting his hands up defensively. "Wahhh! Don't kill me Li! Don't kill me! I thought you already had a fiancée! Don't hurt me!"_

_Neither of them said anything in response to Kikumaru's statement, but Sakura paled slightly. Syaoran strode over wordlessly and took the spot their frantic friend had vacated. "I was wondering where you had gone off to," he said in a low voice, the expression on his face revealing nothing._

_Sakura could only manage to give him a half-hearted grin. "Tomoyo kidnapped me," she responded. Lifting her hand she smoothed out the collar of his dark gray clothes. "You look very handsome tonight," she murmured softly. And it was true. He looked more dashing than ever in his darkly colored, formal attire. Older, taller, and much more like a man, not a boy. She wondered what they must look like together. She probably seemed incredibly out of place next to him; her only average looks not quite matching up to his grand features._

"_Tomoyo-chan! Are they… together?" Misaki whispered to the Daidouji heiress. _

_A normal person would not have heard, but Syaoran's sensitive ears picked up the statement and he straightened grimly. "I wish you had informed me about your… attendance tonight," he said so that only she could hear. "This might be troublesome."_

"_Don't!" Sakura hissed, edging away from him slightly. "Just act like we're merely acquaintances… I really don't want to cause a fuss right now, and you definitely don't need rumors to start up about the two of us. You're still engaged to Mei Ling-san, you know."_

_To her surprise, Syaoran grabbed hold of her hand to keep her from walking away, and pulled her back to his side. _

At that moment, a familiar shriek rang out across the grounds, and Sakura's heart jumped.

No. She didn't want this.

She tried to tug away from him, but Syaoran's hand closed even tighter around hers, keeping her from escaping. "Syaoran!" Sakura begged. "Please let go!"

"No," he answered her calmly. "There's no need for you to hide."

Sakura felt her anxiety increase exponentially. No, no, no, no, **no!**

"_Syaoran! What do you think you are doing?" Mei Ling's demanded, stomping up towards them with a furious expression on her face. Sakura felt her will crumple slightly. The rage and the anger directed towards _her _was there, as expected… but the disappointment and the fear with which she gazed at Syaoran was there too. _

_The couple turned towards the beautiful Chinese girl, their hands still intertwined. A lump rose to her throat as Sakura recognized the pure disbelief written all over Mei Ling's face. Once again, she tried to tug away from Syaoran, but he held on to her firmly. A bead of sweat formed at the back of her neck. _

_What was he trying to do? He-He couldn't… not to Mei Ling-san, not in front of all these people…_

_Sakura was positive that the situation could not possibly get any worse. She was already praying for the earth to just open up and swallow her whole when the sight of another, more regal Chinese woman coming towards them made her heart stop beating temporarily. Syaoran's mother… Li Yelan-sama. _

_Syaoran's fiancée tore towards them, and forcefully grabbed Sakura's arm, pulling it painfully from her partner's grasp. The emerald-eyed girl did not resist, even though she could have easily kept Mei Ling from even touching her. Syaoran, who had seemed so adamant about her staying near him was now staring with a mix of shock and apprehension at his mother who had stopped in front of them. _

"_What is the meaning of this Syaoran?" she demanded in a cool, cultured voice. "Is the young lady not feeling well?"_

"_Yelan-sama!" Mei Ling glared at Sakura angrily. "It isn't Syaoran's fault. It's this girl! She's always hanging on his arm… trying to steal him from me! This is the second time I've caught her practically jumping into his arms!" Sakura made no attempt to correct her. If anything, she debated whether nodding and agreeing would make the situation a little better. _

"_Mei Ling, be silent," Syaoran told her in a harsh voice, but he was immediately rebuked by his mother. _

_Folding her smooth hands neatly into her red sleeves, Yelan walked up to her son. "Do not speak to your fiancée in that manner, Syaoran. It is shameful. If this young lady is feeling fine, then explain to me why you were holding her in a way indecent for a man already engaged to another." Although Yelan-sama was shorter than Syaoran, she seemed to Sakura so much taller, and so much more intimidating. She shivered slightly at the powerful presence of the Academy's headmistress. _

"_This is not the correct place for such a discussion, Okaa-sama," Syaoran bowed slightly, before moving Mei Ling gently to the side and once again taking hold of an astonished Sakura's hand. _

_Yelan's dark eyes narrowed, and her heavy lashes fluttered in slight irritation. "Very well. Mei Ling-san, come to my side."_

_The black-haired female looked ready to tear Sakura away from her fiancé once again, but was unable to refuse a direct from her aunt. "Hai, Yelan-sama," she said obediently, complying reluctantly. _

"_Syaoran. You will come with me as well. Girl, what is your name?"_

_Sakura bit her lip nervously. While a part of her wished desperately for Syaoran to deny even knowing her, she could not smother the small hope in her that Syaoran wouldn't deny her. She fisted her hands. Why had things turned out this way? The last thing she wanted was to hurt Mei Ling-san… who had been kind to her, at least as Kino, and even more than that, she prayed that she wasn't bringing trouble to Yukito-san. She bowed low. "My name is… Tsukishiro Sakura."_

_Yelan's gaze lingered on the emerald eyes and nervous expression coloring the pretty girl's face. _

"_I see. I will send servants to fetch you momentarily. Please do not stray too far. Syaoran. Mei Ling-san. Come," she commanded, turning and walking away. Several head turned from the headmistress' retreating figure towards her son and the terrified girl next to him. _

Sakura felt Syaoran squeeze her hand reassuringly before he followed after his mother. "Don't worry," he promised to her softly. "I'll take care of everything."

Her heart sank. That was probably the last thing she wanted. Kami-sama, she would have fought Tomoyo-chan tooth and nail before coming if she had known that this would happen. Her position was now seriously compromised, and more than that, she was hurting Syaoran's reputation.

Sakura was well aware, even as she watched the trio depart with a sort of silent horror, that people were staring. Almost immediately, Tomoyo and Eriol stepped to her side, giving her their support. It made her feel a little better, but she remained acutely conscious of the fact that, while a couple of her friends had moved closer to her as well, Yamazaki and Andou refrained from doing so because Chiharu and Misaki were clinging to their arms and sending her angry glares.

But such was to be expected. They were, after all, probably Mei Ling's friends.

"I knew it!" Chiharu hissed to Misaki. "I knew that Mei Ling-chan definitely didn't know about this! She was always going on about how much she loved Li… and how distant he seemed recently. It's this girl's fault!"

It was her fault. A wry smile found its way to Sakura's lips. They were correct. It was her fault. She'd been so happy when Syaoran had told her he had no intention of marrying Mei Ling, and she'd been so happy when he'd told her he cared about her in ways he could never feel for his lawful fiancée. Her gain was Mei Ling-san's loss, the same Mei Ling-san who had saved her from "love-struck" girls earlier that afternoon, the same Mei Ling-san that Syaoran thought of as a little sister.

"Naoko-chan!" Misaki cried suddenly, stirring Sakura from her thoughts.

It was too late, however, as Sakura felt cold water pouring over her head, soaking her hair and drenching her clothes. Her emerald eyes stared up in surprise at the skinny girl holding the wooden pail over her.

"Naoko-chan! Stop that!" a fourth voice called suddenly, and Sakura's surprise doubled as she watched her old friend, Sasaki Rika from the South spring out of no where and knock the bucket from Naoko's hands. "What are you doing?"

"She's the one who's making Mei Ling-chan sad, isn't she?" the girl demanded. "If so, why are you stopping me?! She deserves what's coming to her, the little slut."

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo gasped, whipping out her handkerchief and futilely attempting to dab her friend's cheeks dry.

"Tomoyo-chan! You too! Why are you protecting this outsider?" Naoko screeched. "You traitor!"

"That is enough," Eriol broke in, a severe expression on his face, which caused the girl named Naoko to back off immediately. "As you are currently unaware of the situation, I will excuse your little tantrum, Yanagisawa-san. However, something as low as pouring water over a lady of noble birth is inexcusably below your rank. You should be ashamed."

"_It's okay, Eriol-san," Sakura spoke up suddenly for the first time since Mei Ling and Yelan had arrived. All heads snapped towards her as she shook Tomoyo's frantic handkerchief off gently. "She is merely acting in the service of a friend. Yanagisawa-san is not incorrect in saying that I am the cause of Mei Ling-san's troubles. It is not a lie."_

"_Sakura-san…" he said. _

_Sakura turned to face Naoko fully and bowed politely. "Excuse me, but I must take my leave now."_

_The crowd remained silent as she stood straight and walked out of the crowd with as much composure and dignity as she could muster. Tomoyo rushed to her friend's side and the two of them left quietly, amidst many scandalous stares. _

Sakura stared at unfamiliar wooden walls sullenly. She'd wanted to return to the dojo immediately, but that was obviously impossible seeing as Yelan-sama might summon her at any moment.

"Just wait a moment alright, Sakura-chan? I'm getting you a change of clothes," Tomoyo called from the next room.

All she could manage was a weak, "Arigatou, Tomoyo-chan." It was ironic. She was probably at the last place she wanted to be.

"Here, put this on."

She stared absentmindedly at the midnight-blue kimono Tomoyo had handed her. Sakura slipped, shivering, out of her green one and put the new garment on obediently. If she noticed that it bore the official Tsukishiro crest on it, Sakura said nothing.

The shoji door slid open and a servant girl was there. "Hiiragizawa-sama would like a word."

Tomoyo was busy fastening the pale yellow obi and did not bother to look up. "Send him in please."

Seconds later, Eriol was in the room, watching with a grim expression as Tomoyo fussed with Sakura's damp hair.

"I spoke to Yukito-san," he said suddenly, causing Sakura to turn around rather violently, eliciting an irritated growl from her friend.

"What did he say?" she asked, worried. She'd caused him trouble.

"He said to scold you if you had an expression like that on your face," Eriol responded, brightening a little. "Sakura-san, you know that he's more than willing to support you no matter what happens. You're his 'little sister', formally, from this moment onwards, and he said that he'll take care of everything for you."

Funny, Syaoran had said that too.

"I don't _want_ everyone to take care of everything for me," Sakura scowled darkly. "I want them to let me shoulder my own burdens and pull my own weight."

He regarded her seriously. "You may have to do just that tonight, Sakura-san. Don't disappoint Syaoran… and stick by his story, understand? Clan politics are extremely complex and serious… especially for Syaoran, who is to be the next leader of his clan."

"What about his two elder brothers?" Tomoyo asked as she fixed Sakura's makeup. "Surely they have a say in the succession."

"They were lucky not to be disowned when they left to join their father. The elders never trusted Yelan-sama's husband, but they were married in order to merge his family with hers."

"Tsukishiro Sakura-sama," a second servant girl appeared at the door. "Li Yelan-sama requests that you come to her rooms immediately."

Tomoyo looked at her worriedly. "Sakura-chan, if you don't feel up to it, I can simply go talk to her for you. Or better yet, I can ask my mother to-"

"It's all right. Really, Tomoyo-chan," she reassured her, sounding more confident than she felt. Her expression bleak, Sakura stood from her kneeling position in front of Tomoyo's vanity, and followed the servant outside.

Sakura walked all the way to the headmistress' rooms mechanically, and as she stood in front of Yelan-sama's rooms, she was reminded of the first time she had been brought here. Sakura cringed. This was definitely not going to be fun.

Li Yelan, the mistress of the Li Clan and head of the Academy sat regally on her decorative redwood throne, eyeing Sakura carefully. She raised a hand and gestured for her to step forward. Sakura obeyed.

In the same way she had greeted Sakura all those nights ago, Yelan once again stood and walked over to the nervous girl's side.

"You are Tsukishiro Sakura-san, Tsukishiro-sensei's younger sister?" her velvety voice asked imperiously as cool fingers lifted the bottom of Sakura's chin upwards, forcing emerald eyes to stare up into black ones.

"I…" This was the second time she was forced to lie about her identity to Syaoran's mother… and she hated it. "I am."

"What is your relationship with my son, Tsukishiro-san?"

There was no hostility in her tone, but the sternness in her gaze told Sakura that she had to choose her words wisely. There would be no taking any of them back.

The only female student of the Northern Academy was torn. Syaoran would not want her after she finally killed his brother and revealed her true identity to him. So what exactly was she doing tearing up his quiet, honorable life right now? They would never get married. She could never make him happy. Why was she here when she had no business doing so? This was the woman whose children she would be murdering. Her blood turned cold at the thought. They would all hate her. _She_ already hated herself.

And yet… All of a sudden, an image of Syaoran's firm but kind smile lighted in her mind, and Sakura could almost feel the edges of her own lips tug upwards. Oh, oh, bittersweet happiness. Even if it was completely selfish, Sakura wanted her dying fairytale to last just a little longer.

"I am in love with your son, Li-sama," Sakura answered in a soft voice.

"You understand that Syaoran is engaged to Li Mei Ling," Yelan's voice was hard.

Stepping back slightly so that her face was no longer in the woman's hands, Sakura bowed low. "I understand that I have done a dishonorable thing by attaching myself to a man obligated to another. I beg your forgiveness."

The Academy's headmistress frowned. "Your shameful actions are unbefitting your rank. You have no right to ask for forgiveness."

The hurtful words rung cold and true, but Sakura persisted. "What I have done is not right, but please believe me when I say it was not done in bad faith." If she could do nothing else, she at least wanted this woman, Syaoran's mother, to understand. "I did not intentionally draw near to Syaoran, and the last thing I want to do is to hurt him. But by the time I realized we'd gotten too close, it was already too late. We… became attached, and..." Sakura trailed off miserably, unsure of how to voice what she was feeling.

"Then you have seen the error of your ways?"

She bit her lip. "I am sorry."

"Are you prepared to return him to his rightful partner?"

Sakura's eyes shut tightly. "It is for Syaoran to decide where his heart lies," she whispered. "If it is with Mei Ling-san, then I have no qualms about stepping aside for their happiness. But, if Syaoran chooses me, then…" Then what, she asked herself. What was she going to do? Was she just going to keep leading him on until she finally betrayed him and couldn't have him anymore? Was she really going to ruin Mei Ling's happiness for something so selfish as that?

Sakura faltered. She looked hesitantly up at Yelan, who was waiting for her to continue. Drawing a deep breath, she started again. "Syaoran is not a puppet, he can breathe, think, and live for himself. If he chooses me… then I will not abandon him for so long as he wants me by his side."

_Which might not be for very long now._

To Sakura's astonishment, Yelan's full, red lips curled into a small smile. "I know my son. I do not accuse him of being a puppet."

Sakura flushed in embarrassment, realizing what her words had inadvertently implied. "I-I am so sorry! I meant no-"

"You call him Syaoran?" she asked smoothly.

Sakura hesitated. "And he calls me Sakura."

Yelan observed her composedly, her dark eyes studying the lovely, young female slowly. Sakura could not help but fidget a little. The intensity of Syaoran's stare, she realized now, had probably come from his mother. They both gazed at her as if they could see straight through what she was thinking.

"M-May," she wanted to slap herself for stuttering. "May I ask what Syaoran said about… me earlier?"

A small sliver of amusement lit up in Yelan's eyes. That too, Sakura noted, Syaoran had probably gotten from his mother. "You may ask. He made very clear both to me and to his former fiancée that he had no intention of marrying her. Apparently, he had been waiting until he'd come of age to make known his intentions, but because of certain… circumstances, he changed his mind, and informed me of the nullification of their engagement today."

"What did Mei Ling-san say? How is she?" Sakura asked softly.

Once again cool fingers tipped Sakura's face upwards, but this time, to her surprise, a pair of gentle lips pressed gently against her forehead.

"I give my permission," Yelan said, a kind smile on her face. "My son has chosen well."

Sakura watched, barely able to keep her jaw clapped shut, as Yelan returned to her seat in the back of the room.

"Mei Ling-san is very upset, and now I am sorry for having arranged their marriage at all. That is all, Sakura-san." Sakura started at the sudden change in the way Syaoran's mother addressed her. "I will call upon you again soon. It is well that I should acquaint myself with my son's new fiancée."

----------------

Fiancée…

_Fiancée… _

_Fiancée…_

_Fiancée…_

_Fiancée…_

"_Fiancée_?_!_" Sakura whispered to herself in shock. What… exactly was going on?

"Sakura!"

She started at the anxiousness in Syaoran's voice. Her feet ceasing their movement, Sakura's emerald eyes lifted and locked with a pair of familiar amber orbs.

"Syaoran…"

He was walking very quickly towards her.

"Syaoran…" she murmured.

"Sakura," his eyes softened as he came to a halt in front of her.

She glared up at him. "SYAORAN!" she roared, before raising a fist and promptly slamming it across his right cheek.

He recovered instantly since the blow hadn't been excessively powerful, but he stared down at her in surprise. "What was that for?" he growled angrily.

"LI SYAORAN!" Sakura fumed, wagging a threatening finger in his face. "_Why_ was I not informed that we were _**engaged**_?!"

Amber eyes threw her a disbelieving look. "I had assumed that it was implied."

Sakura glowered at him. "Implied since when? Since tonight when you priggishly decided to publicly humiliate Mei Ling-san or-"

His right arm shot out and he took hold of her hand tightly. His gaze never leaving hers, Syaoran pulled her to him so that their faces were bare inches apart. "Do _not _think for a moment that I do not regret Mei Ling's pain," he said roughly before sighing. Leaning his forehead against hers, he murmured, "I thought I told you I wanted you by my side? Why are you so upset?"

"That is _not_," she stressed the word helplessly. "The same as asking me to marry you."

His eyes darkened. "Did you honestly think I would engage in intimate relations with you and not take responsibility?" he asked harshly.

"So _what_?" Sakura hissed. "I'm dirty now because you've _kissed_ me a few times? That automatically makes me _yours_? Your property?"

"What is this?" Syaoran frowned, obviously disliking her reaction. "Are you so displeased simply because I did not formally propose to you? The only reason we're engaged before I could ask you is because my mother asked what my intentions towards you are. I defied my clan's wishes and I rejected Mei Ling for _you_, so **why** are you so upset?"

Sakura was torn between screaming and bawling. "I don't _want _you to have to do that sort of stuff," she cried, a hysterical note in her voice. This was so wrong. _What _had she been thinking? _Why _had she gone along with it?

What _was_ it she wanted? Sakura didn't even know. She was ruining his life all over again, turning his world upside down when she shouldn't even _be _in his life. The time was drawing near for her to betray him, and how was he ever going to be unaffected by her departure if he was tying himself to her through _matrimony_? And what killed her the most was that while she hated the situation so much, a part of her was still bubbling over with euphoric joy at the fact that Syaoran had formally announced to the world that he was choosing _her_.

Syaoran paused, watching her carefully. Then, in an uncharacteristic display of affection that made Sakura's stomach flutter and her heart sink, he touched her cheek gently and whispered, "Did my mother or Mei Ling say something to you?" He looked her over. "You're wearing a different kimono, what happened?"

"Nothing," Sakura sniffed. Plenty had happened to her after he'd left, but none of them were the reasons she was so distraught. She was her own source of agony. Her own, personal little source of hell. Who knew that she was such a masochist? Not for the first time, Sakura wished that she had never found out Gaoran was the one who'd murdered her parents. Then at least they'd be able to be together, both living in blissful ignorance.

She exhaled. "It's nothing Syaoran. I'm sorry for throwing a tantrum. I was simply unprepared to find out that I was engaged to marry _you_ without having been informed beforehand. That is all."

His eyes narrowed. "Do not lie to me Sakura. I don't like it when you hide things from me."

"I hide _everything_ from you," she threw at him cruelly, hating herself even as the words spilled from her lips. "How is this any different?"

Syaoran's amber eyes stared back at her, and for the first time, she noticed that he looked hurt. Sakura felt her heart plummet. She'd hurt Syaoran. And she hadn't even dealt the first blow to his brother yet. "I-I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice trembling a little. She raised one small, pale hand to touch his face, but stopped it before it could reach its destination. The pained expression in his eyes was too much to bear. "I didn't mean it like that," she whimpered pitifully before stepping away from him. "I'm tired. I want to go to bed."

And she left him standing there as she ran in blinded frenzy back to the safety of her own room.

----------------

The next morning, Tomoyo came to fetch Sakura before the sun had even risen. It was not much of a bother since Sakura had been unable to sleep the night before anyways, but as she paused before Syaoran's room on the way out, Sakura could not help but take a quick peek.

His futon was empty and untouched. He hadn't returned last night.

"Sakura-chan, hurry!"

The cold morning air felt smooth against her skin as Sakura followed Tomoyo silently across the Academy grounds. It was not until they had walked a good distance until she asked, "You're not taking me to your rooms are you?"

"Of course not," Tomoyo answered briskly. "Do you think I would risk Mei Ling-chan tearing you to pieces right now? Don't worry Sakura-chan." She added quickly, seeing Sakura's face fall. "Mei Ling-chan will be all right. She's strong. Plus, she wants Syaoran to be happy, so it's only a matter of time until she realizes that he really does love you."

"She hates me."

The amethyst-eyed beauty paused. "Well, yes I suppose. But we can discuss her later. We need to get you ready."

Sakura sighed. "If not to your place then where are we going?"

"Have you forgotten? You're Tsukishiro Sakura now! We're going to Yukito-san's home to get you ready."

It finally occurred to Sakura to ask exactly _why_ she was being dragged out of her comfortable room so early in the morning. "What are you getting me ready for exactly, Tomoyo-chan. I don't remember Yelan-sama saying anything about meeting me today."

At this, Tomoyo stopped walking completely, and Sakura was obliged to do so as well. The former stared at her cousin in disbelief. "You don't _know_, Sakura-chan?! You're getting _engaged_!!!"

Sakura's mouth dropped open slightly, but then she recalled why she was so upset. "Oh, oh yeah. I'd forgotten."

Tomoyo enveloped her into a hug. "Oh! Sakura-chan, I thought you'd be _happy_! Don't you want to marry Li-san?"

"It's not that, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura hiccupped softly, the suppressed emotions from the night before billowing over. "I-I just… I _can't_ marry him! Do you honestly think that I'm going to _stop_ my plan?!" Her voice raised an octave. "I don't _deserve_ to marry someone like him! I'm going to ruin his life! I'm not ready to do this! I'm not!"

"Your eyes are all red and puffy," Tomoyo observed at last, taking Sakura's face into her two, soft hands. She hesitated a moment before straightening. "Come on Sakura-chan," she said finally. "We can cry later, but right now we have a job to do. This is our duty, understand? Even if you don't want to marry him, you no longer have a choice. We are women, and this is what we have to do. He's too powerful for you to refuse, for now at least. Come."

Sakura followed Tomoyo obediently towards her "brother's" home. They knocked softly on the door and almost immediately it sprang open and an anxious Yukito was staring at the both of them.

"Sakura-san!" he gasped, leading the both of them inside. "You've been crying."

She managed to produce a weak but convincing smile. "Oh, you know… pre-engagement jitters I guess."

"Gomen, Yukito-san, but we need to hurry. Could you show us to a room to get Sakura-chan ready?" Tomoyo asked steadily.

"Oh, yes of course," he said, but Sakura could still feel his worried eyes on her.

"My servant, did she drop off-"

"Yes, she was here a little while ago. All of your things are in the room already."

Sakura gave her long-time friend and supporter a watery smile, and whispered a quick "Thank you" as she watched his concerned face disappear behind the shoji door.

"There's no time Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said in a weary voice. It was difficult for her to push her cousin when she was so obviously in distress. "We'll talk while we work, ne?"

Tomoyo had her dressed and dolled up within an hour. Sakura looked radiant in her long, red Chinese-styled kimono with the Tsukishiro symbol in thick gold at her stomach. Her auburn hair was, as always, covered by a long, black wig, and Tomoyo had managed a beautiful knot at the top of her head, decorated with an intricate, silver waterfall of cherry blossoms. Her makeup was modest, so as to show humility, but they had both been careful to apply enough powder to her eyes to hide the telltale signs of crying.

Sakura sat numbly in front of the mirror, staring blankly at the reflection in the foggy glass. Everything felt strangely surreal. Somehow, this wasn't how she'd imagined her wedding to be. Certainly, she hadn't been expecting to marry the brother of the man she was going to murder. Fate could be so hateful.

"Sakura-chan." A knock came at the door, and Yukito looked in, giving her an encouraging smile. "If you don't want to go through with this," he said understandingly. "I can still talk to Yelan-sama for you, you know."

"Yukito-san!" Tomoyo said sharply, almost snapping. Noticing her tone, she immediately blushed apologetically. "I'm sorry. But _please_ don't make this any more difficult for her right now. You know that there's no way we can turn back."

"Arigatou, Yukito-san," Sakura murmured in a small voice, causing both heads to snap in her direction. "But I'll be fine."

Her kenjutsu instructor looked ready to say something, but at that moment a loud, grand call rang through the walls, announcing the arrival of their guests.

"The honored Li Yelan-sama, Li Gaoran-sama, Li Dairan-sama, and Li Syaoran-sama have arrived!"

Sakura rose to her feet grimly. It was time. Quickly, she went to the center of the most formal guest room while Yukito went to receive their guests. She knelt down onto the gold-embroidered zabuton at the front left of the room and folded her hands demurely in her lap. Tomoyo sat behind her to her right.

"Welcome, welcome." That was Yukito-san's voice. There was a pause, and Sakura assumed that they were all bowing to each other.

"I have come bringing the first letter, Tsukishiro-sama." It was Syaoran's voice. Sakura's heart skipped a beat, her mind jumping to last night's events. What did he think of her nowr? Dully, she noted the formality with which he'd addressed Yukito-san. It reminded her of what she was here for, and Sakura shifted nervously.

The procession of Li's into the room was imposing and grand, and Sakura found herself incredibly intimidated by all _four _of their presences boring down upon her at the same time. Slowly, she and Tomoyo rose and bowed.

The main participants in the ceremony, Sakura, Syaoran, Yukito, and Yelan, were seated at the four zabutons in the center, so that two and two faced each other. Behind them, the rest of the family and servants and spectators sat.

Bowing, Yelan passed to Yukito across the tatami a white envelope. Bowing, Yukito received it. He opened the letter quietly, and read the contents. Once again, he bowed to Yelan-sama. Then, turning to Syaoran, he bowed to him as well, and then lastly, to Sakura.

"As head of the Tsukishiro Clan, I give my consent," he said formally.

Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat. They were officially engaged.

Stiffly, she turned to bow to her "brother", then to Yelan-sama, and finally she and Syaoran bowed to each other. Sakura felt like screaming, she couldn't bear to meet his eyes.

"The bride price, Dairan," Yelan commanded in a regal voice.

There was a slightly movement in the back, and then all of a sudden large trays, one after the other, of gold, of food, and of heavily ornated jewels piled into the room, and all were laid in front of Sakura horizontally for her inspection. She could feel Dairan's cold eyes staring curiously down at her.

Lifting her hand, Sakura moved to pick up the ruby butterfly pin at the far right, but she drew back midway. She couldn't do it. Skipping looking through all of the gifts, Sakura merely bowed low with her head to the ground. It was over. They were bound to each other. There was no way she could escape damnation now.

"I look forward to the joining of our families." Yelan-sama said politely.

"As do I, Yelan-sama."

"The Tsukishiro Clan is an old and honorable family. About your estate on…"

And the conversation deciding Sakura's future began as the two heads of the families debated over where the wedding should be, in what span of time they desired the first child, and what properties Sakura would bring to her new family. Sakura did not bother pay attention at all, and she had the feeling that Syaoran wasn't listening either.

Nervously, she allowed her eyes to dart to his face quickly, but she regretted the motion immediately as his intense amber eyes caught her emerald ones and held them. He wanted to talk to her after the ceremony.

Wincing, Sakura nodded and lowered her head. Tears began to form at the edges of her eyes. This was all wrong. This wasn't how she wanted everything to turn out!

They must have sensed her distress, because within a few short minutes the Li family was already bidding them goodbye, and Sakura was obliged to see them to the door. Syaoran was the last to leave, and before she could turn and run back into Yukito's house, he caught her arm and whispered in her ear, "I'll meet you back at the dojo in twenty minutes. Don't be late."

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**Oh yes, I know that I'm evil. But you know what, I think I'm doing a pretty good job updating under pressure (school and stress), so I believe I deserve some REVIEWS if you want to see the next chapter soon! xP**

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arigatou – thank you

kenjutsu – sword fighting

ne – okay/right?

Okaa-sama – honored mother

gomen – sorry

hai – yes

zabuton – seat cushion

tatami – straw flooring

futon – traditional Japanese bed


	24. Love

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, as always. :D I have to admit, I cannot believe that I've penned and typed a couple **_**hundred**_** of pages already… seems surreal doesn't it? But I have… and I've actually made it through APs hallelujah to that and thanks for all of the encouragement. It really kept me going. xD**

**And a special thanks to Mekana for catching my slip last chapter. You are correct, Sakura does **_**not**_** have auburn-colored eyes. xD**

**Anyhow, I bet you're all wondering how this faux engagement is going to go down since, technically, Sakura's last name isn't even Tsukishiro. For the formal ceremony, I actually had it conducted in the traditional Chinese style, don't know if any of you caught that. You can Google or Wikipedia it if you're feeling curious. xP Have fun! It's almost summer!**

**Oh, and just as a side note, I HATE the way fanfiction . net is messing with the format of my chapters!!!!! It's driving me NUTS, and it takes an unnecessarily irritating amount of time to fix.**

**My vent for the week. Enjoy!**

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Twenty Four**

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Sakura fidgeted nervously, seriously debating whether or not she should just make a run for it. She looked around at the empty dojo, both confused and irritated. Did that man _know_ how amazing a feat it was to change from a kimono back into training clothes in just _fifteen minutes_, and then to run all the way across the Academy in less than _five_? And all of this was just to be on time for his stupid "meet at the dojo in twenty minutes". Don't be late her ass. Did he even know how much she wanted to just curl up into a ball and _cry_ at the moment? This was unbelievable.

As thoughts of crying passed her mind, Sakura felt her eyes automatically water, and she had to fight bitterly both with her mind and with her scratchy sleeve to keep the tears from spilling over. The engagement ceremony had been both painful and terrifying. Hell, she was still scared to death. If Syaoran wasn't even going to have the decency to show up on time for his own appointment, when she tried so hard to even when all she wanted to do was go have a good sob, then she was definitely not going to wait for him.

But mere seconds after she turned around and began walking away, a strong grip closed around her wrist and pulled her back.

Sakura found herself face to face with her partner's well-sculpted chest. She sucked in a deep, trembling breath. "Syaoran," she whispered.

"Sakura," he responded, immediately tugging her into a hug and burying his nose into her hair to breathe in her sweet scent. Then he said something that sent a shock of astonishment through her whole body. "Sorry for being late."

She trembling slightly as her hands found their way slowly around his back and she returned the hug hesitantly. "You're not mad at me?" Sakura asked in a small voice.

At this, Syaoran pulled away from her slightly, a small scowl on his face. "A bit," he said seriously, before taking her hand and leading her into the dojo.

"W-Wait!" Sakura yelped as Syaoran suddenly pulled her into his room and shut the door behind him. She stared cautiously at Syaoran, who seemed amused by her reaction.

"What?" he asked, a teasing note to his voice. "You've never seemed to mind being in my room before."

"W-Well… you…" she looked frantically around the room for some sort of excuse for her uneasiness. Saying 'I don't feel comfortable with you right now' was a bit too harsh, and yet no brilliant ideas were striking her. "You've… been acting weird recently," she finished lamely, backing into the corner of the room as Syaoran began advancing on her slowly.

"How so?" he asked, a feral grin on his lips as he successfully boxed her between a wall, a closet, and his body. None of them seemed ready to move for her, and Sakura realized with a sort of sinking feeling that she was trapped.

"Y-You… wanting to marry me and – um," she faltered. "Stuff… you're face is getting too close Syaoran…"

His face loomed even closer. "Is it wrong for me to want to kiss my fiancée?" he asked teasingly before swooping down and subjecting her to a deep, wonderful kiss that left Sakura's head spinning and her heart racing. She would never tire of the feeling of his lips moving against hers, that thrilling, amazing, beautiful shock his touch could send through her system… but at that moment, Sakura felt tears well up into her eyes.

Syaoran pulled away almost immediately. "Is the thought of becoming my wife so displeasing to you?" he asked her gently.

Sakura had already had her mouth open, ready to explain, but his question caught her off guard, and she paused, unsure. Did she _want_ to become Syaoran's wife? In her mind, she pictured waking up next to him in the morning, him, _her husband_. She imagined what it would be like spending every single day with him, not just as a friend, not having to hide, but as his _wife_. Maybe, eventually, they might even have kids. _Li Sakura_… had a nice ring to it.

A tiny blush sprinkled across her cheeks. No, she wouldn't mind becoming his wife at all. If it was another era… if he had a different last name… if she wasn't his enemy… then _maybe_, just maybe… she could actually be his wife.

"I don't hate the idea of becoming your wife," she told him, shaking her head softly.

At once, Syaoran exhaled in relief and kissed her once again, chastely. "Good," he said.

Sakura stared at him. "You didn't really think that I was upset about the engagement because I didn't _like_ you did you?"

Amber eyes gazed inquisitively down at her. "What was I supposed to expect?"

"Well, I don't know," she responded sarcastically. "It couldn't have _possibly_ been that I was _apparently_ oblivious to the fact that we were _engaged _until I heard from your _mother_ that we're going to get MARRIED! Would it really have been so difficult to come and consult me first?"

Syaoran's eyes softened and he nodded. "I apologize then. But you know I hadn't really planned on bringing it up with my mother at all last night. I would have asked you first, had Mei Ling not overreacted at the party. I just wanted to make it clear to everyone that you were already taken, and by _me._"

It finally dawned on her. "You were _jealous_ weren't you?!" she exclaimed, pointing a finger up at him. "That Kikumaru was talking to me." Sakura wanted to giggle, but she decided against it at the look of irritation on his face.

"Perhaps, just a bit," he admitted grudgingly.

"I can't believe it," Sakura murmured. "You actually get jealous."

He glared at her. "I don't like other men touching what's mine."

She made a face up at him before stopping suddenly. "Wait- are you trying to tell me that we got engaged because you got _jealous_?!"

"Sakura _please_," Syaoran sighed. "I apologize for not speaking to you first. Will you please calm down?"

Her frustration mounted. This conversation was leading nowhere. She still hadn't explained to him that she _couldn't _marry him. "No," Sakura shook her head. "Actually, that's not really what I'm upse-"

"I'll make it up to you by proposing now," he said suddenly, making Sakura jump.

"Wait! Wait! Hold on! Oh… no, Syaoran – no, don't!" she protested, but Syaoran silenced her with another kiss.

"Be quiet Sakura," he told her, a smile on his face as he pulled from the folds of his gi a small, red silk bag. She stared at it, not sure whether to be more curious or horrified.

She decided to try one more time. "Syaoran, listen to me first," the level of her voice rising with her increasing panic. "Just listen to me okay? It's not that I don't _want_ to marry you Syaoran, I just _can't_. I, I-" her words paused as she finally took note of the passion with which he was staring down at her.

No man had ever looked so intensely at her before. It was a jealous, domineering sort of gaze that Sakura found was not exactly unwelcome, but sent shivers down her spine. He _wanted_ her, and it was making her knees weak… and he didn't seem to be planning to look away from her any time soon.

"Continue," he prompted her. "You can't marry me? Why?"

At his words, a spark of annoyance flared up inside of her. Did he really have to make her sound like such a child? She was being completely serious, and he was merely _humoring_ her!

"_Because_, though it might have slipped _your _mind, _I _haven't changed my plans to… betray you sometime in the near future. Contrary to what you may think, I can guarantee that it's not going to make a beautiful start for our happy, new 'relationship'."

"Sakura," he said gravely, reaching out and taking hold of her chin to make sure that she wouldn't look away. He knew her too well.

Her emerald eyes would not quite meet his amber ones, but she decided not to struggle against him. It wasn't worth the trouble.

"Sakura," Syaoran repeated, his deep voice, so strangely full of affection that her stomach could not help but begin its usual somersaults. "Please look at me."

She hesitated before complying. He kissed her nose.

"W-What was that for?" she demanded, stuttering and fighting a losing battle against the blush staining her cheeks pink.

He grinned. "I want you to know, Tsukishiro Sakura" – she winced at the name – "that I think I love you."

Sakura's emerald eyes stared wide open at him, in disbelief. Did he just say what she thought he just said? _Him_? _Syaoran_? _**LOVE**_?!

"You don't mean that," she murmured, trembling under his gentle touch. "You said that you didn't before. That you didn't understand it, _couldn't_ understand it."

"Perhaps I ought to correct myself. I think I am capable of falling in love with you," Syaoran could not help but allow the corners of his mouth tug upwards at the dumbfounded expression on his beautiful cherry blossom's face. She was beautiful. She was his.

"I've come to the conclusion that if there was ever anyone I could come to love, it would be you," he continued. "I **want** to marry you. I want you to be my wife, at least eventually. I want you to stay by my side." Syaoran's fingers released her chin, but his hands came up to cup her cheeks. "Do you understand me?" he whispered. "I'm asking you to stay with me for the rest of my life."

She bit her lip so hard that it bled, shaking her head slightly. No, no, _no_… her heart squeezed. His words were forcing her emotions down a very dangerous path. She wouldn't be able to recover from this if – if something bad happened.

"Sakura?" he asked softly.

Unable to help herself, Sakura felt a spark of hope rising up within her. He was telling her that he would learn to not just care about her, but to _love_ her. They could stay together… maybe forever…? But would he be able to even stand her presence after she killed his brother and told him about who she really was?

"I don't think I could ever hate you, Sakura. I've told you that before. No matter what it is you're doing," he raised an eyebrow, letting her know how irritating her constant references to "betrayal" were. "I want to stop you from doing whatever crime it is you are so bent on committing… but you just don't seem to get it. You're always eating yourself up with _guilt_ – but it's not important!" He shook her by the shoulders gently. "It might make me mad and it might make you unhappy, but what I've been _trying_ to tell you for the past few weeks is that I care about you more than whatever it is you could possibly be capable of doing. Certainly, your 'mission' is something that we need to… discuss, but it does not affect the fact that I want you here with me."

She remained silent, but her mouth dropped slightly open in surprise. Was this Syaoran? Her stubborn, cold, and stoic Syaoran was actually talking of love and of emotions and of ignoring the rather obvious obstruction, the painfully realness of their situation all just so that she would be by his side? It was insanity. It was illogical. What was he thinking? Surely he could not be serious?

Syaoran chuckled. "You can stop gaping now."

Sakura snapped her mouth shut, but the sudden surprise… and timid elation that rushed through her system did not stop. Maybe, her heart whispered, just maybe they could still be together, even after she took her revenge. Syaoran would definitely be angry… and hurt, but –

Her emerald eyes gazed undecidedly up towards the man she'd undeniably come to care about more than anyone else in the world. Could she trust him? Sakura resisted the urge to laugh at the irony of it all. Here she was, the traitor, and she was questioning whether or not _she_ could trust _him_? And yet, this was her last trump card, her one final defense. If she believed him, that he would still care about her, that they might actually be together long enough for the both of them to learn what it was to be in love, then she would no longer have anything to hide behind. If he really could love her… and she really could love him…

"You know," she whispered, chewing tentatively on her bottom lip. "If you're lying to me, I think I might just have to go kill myself." Sakura meant every word. If she trusted him with _her_, _all_ of her, then she would be giving a part of herself away that she could probably never get back. She would be leaving herself completely vulnerable… open to all of the emotional retributions her mission could bring about. It was a line that shouldn't be crossed, especially since she was driven by hate and vengeance to murder his brothers, but…

Syaoran growled and swooped down, covering her lips with his own. "I am not lying to you Sakura," he murmured when they broke apart. "I can have no one but you."

It was ridiculous, and part of Sakura scolded herself mercilessly for it, but a few stray tears moistened her eyes and spilled over her cheeks. Syaoran rubbed them away with his thumb. His skin was rough, yet his touch was strangely gentle as he erased the wet streaks left behind by her crying.

"Will you stay by my side until death do us part?" he asked her seriously.

Sakura's emerald eyes stared up at him silently for a few seconds before softening. It was already too late for her, and she knew it. Even if her mind rebelled completely against what she was about to do, her heart was already committed to its decision. There was no turning back. It was time to take a leap of faith, no matter how dangerous or terrifying. "Yes!" she cried, before jumping up and wrapping her arms around his neck, her chest nearly bursting with joy. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Forever and ever!" The tears came again, but this time, neither Sakura nor Syaoran seemed bothered by them.

Syaoran crushed her to him in a tight hug and kissed her passionately, expressing without words how much her answer pleased him. For the first time, his tongue coaxed her lips open slightly before sliding into her and exploring the contours of her mouth. This new feeling sent a wave of fresh, dizzy bliss through her, and Sakura felt herself go lax in his arms, allowing him to support the both of them. Shyly, she moved her own tongue against his, and shivered when she heard him groan with satisfaction and approval.

The kiss left her head fuzzy, her lips bruised, and her blood burning, but it was with great pleasure that she reached up as high as she could on tiptoe, and pecked him on _his_ nose after they paused for breath. Sakura giggled, and Syaoran grinned. They were in love.

"Here, I have something for you," he said, pulling away slightly to hand her the little red pouch. "Open it," Syaoran prompted her when she looked up at him questioningly.

Sakura stared curiously at the small silk bag in her palm. It felt incredibly smooth against her skin, but she could feel that there was weight in it. Unfastening its tiny tie quickly, she emptied its contents into her hand.

"You're not serious," she breathed.

"That's why I was late," Syaoran explained, watching her reaction carefully. "I had to ask for it from my mother. It was hers."

She fingered the beautiful ring carefully. "Your father gave it to your mother?" she asked.

"No," he answered softly. "My grandmother gave it to my mother, and her mother before her. I wouldn't give you something soiled by that man."

Taking it, he slipped it onto her first finger on her right hand. It fit perfectly. "This is Li family engagement ring."

Sakura started. "So when you said mother…"

"Yes, some of those mothers in that line were mother-in-laws, but my mother was born in the Li family. She wanted to give it to you herself, but when I explained that I had not even properly asked you yet, Okaa-sama relented, and practically ordered me to give this to you," he let her admire the lovely trinket. "Do you like it? It's white gold, and the set is an emerald surrounded by diamonds. The small inscription on the side is the Li family symbol."

"It's… beautiful," Sakura murmured, unable to quite believe that something so amazing was on her small finger. A happy smile lit across her lips and she buried her face into Syaoran's chest and hugged him hard. "I love it. Thank you."

His arms tightened around her. "Good," he said, and sighed contentedly. The two of them remained in that position for several long minutes, neither of them wanting to move from the other's embrace.

After a little while though, Syaoran sighed and pulled away slightly. Sakura made a small noise of protest and fastened her arms around his waist even tighter. He smiled at her antics.

"Since you can't wear it on your finger in the Academy, I will get you a silver chain so that you can hang it around your neck, but for now leave it in the silk bag and carry it around with you."

"Mm…" she mumbled, burying her face into his chest happily.

"Sakura, we still have to go to lessons today," he reminded her.

"But we just got _engaged_," she complained. "Can't they cut us some slack?"

Syaoran smirked. "They'll cut _me_ some slack, but they'll cut _you_ loose if they find out you're the one I'm engaged to, though I have a sneaking suspicion that my mother already knows."

Sakura's head snapped upwards at this statement. "What do you mean your mother _**knows**_?!"

He frowned a little. "I am not… certain," Syaoran clarified, thinking back to the conversation he had had with the mistress of not only the Li Clan, but also the Academy. "But when I asked her for the ring after the ceremony this morning, she called you 'my partner'. Of course, she could have meant 'partner' in a more… future tense, but knowing Okaa-sama…"

"You don't really think she knows, do you?" Sakura asked, a bit of panic in her voice. How many people had found her out already? Forget Syaoran trying to forgive her for killing his _brothers_, what was Yelan-sama going to say when Sakura murdered two of her _sons_?!

At this thought, she paused. Was she planning on keeping her identity a secret from her new family? And on the topic of families… would she simply become Yukito-san's younger sister for good then? What about Touya? How _was_ Touya?

A wave of fresh guilt and pain washed over her. She hadn't thought about the last surviving member of her immediate family in a long time. He'd been gone from her life for so long that, as long as she knew he was safe, his absence hadn't much bothered her. Now that he was once again on her mind, however, a sudden pang of homesickness seized her. Would she ever be able to go home again? Ever?

She'd left her estate in the hands of her faithful servants, with only a letter from them once every two weeks. How was everyone back at home?

"Sakura."

Come to think of it, she hadn't had a letter from Sousuke in a while. Would Sonomi-san mind terribly sending some of her own servants to go check on the situation there?

"Sakura."

Touya… what would Touya _say_ if he saw her here?! She was so far behind… she still hadn't succeeded in getting revenge even though she'd been here for _months_ already, and _now_ she was engaged to the heir of an elite noble family from the North! Kami-sama, what was-

"Sakura!" Syaoran shook her slightly, an irritated expression on his face.

She woke from her thoughts and stared at him in confusion. "What?"

Sighing, he ruffled her hair. "Stop worrying so much. Even if she knows about you, Okaa-sama already gave her permission. There's no reason to panic."

Oh that's what _you_ think.

But before Sakura could protest, he was already leading her out of his room and out of the dojo. "Syaoran! Where are we going?" she asked as he dragged onto the school grounds.

"To the first class, baka," he retorted sarcastically. "Unless you think Yue will excuse us from punishment after we explain that you were simply 'lost in thought'?"

Sakura walked very quickly to keep up with her fiancé after that.

----------------

"Congratulations on the engagement Li."

"Yeah, congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Aww… our little Syaoran, all grown up."

Dinner that night was fairly uneventful, save for the rather awkward conversation about Syaoran and Yukito-sensei's strange younger sister. Throughout the entire ordeal, Eriol was incredibly amused, and took particular pleasure in making the situation more and more difficult for Sakura to bear.

"So Yamazaki, what do you think of her? Tsukishiro Sakura-san?" the grinning first rank asked.

Yamazaki chewed on his food nervously, his dark eyes darting quickly to Syaoran and then to Sakura for help. She'd abandoned him to deal with the question on his own by staring down at her meal nervously. "Traitor," he murmured, jokingly, but the word sent a horrified shock through her system.

"Um… Tsukishiro-sensei's sister is – um, very pretty," he began, before blurting out. "May I ask how long have you two known each other exactly?" Yamazaki stopped, mortified by the words that had come out of his mouth. "Sorry Li, it's really none of my business."

"No, it isn't any of your business," Syaoran answered scathingly, but he coughed slightly when Sakura elbowed him in the ribs. "Sakura and I met long before the masquerade, which I assume is when you all first met her. I assume Mihara-san has bee curious, so I'll answer the question she's likely been dying to ask as well. No, I don't regret leaving Mei Ling."

Eriol nodded agreeably. "Oh, but I can understand Mihara-san being upset though. Still, Yanagisawa-san's actions were uncalled for."

Syaoran likely would have not pressed the topic, since none of the conversation was very interesting to him, but Sakura chose at that moment to stiffen. He eyed her suspiciously.

"And what did Yanagisawa-san do?" he asked Eriol, his eyes still on his guilty-looking fiancée.

"Didn't Tsukishiro-san tell you?" Andou stared in surprise. "I mean, the two of you_ were _engaged this morning, right?"

"Of course."

"I can't believe she didn't mention anything about it to you _at all_," Eriol emphasized, a wicked grin on his face as his eyes slid over a reddening Sakura. "I mean, I doubt any other girl would have been able to _keep quiet_ about someone else _dumping a whole pail of __**water**__ over her head_, just for being engaged to you, Syaoran."

Amber orbs narrowed. "No, she _didn't_ mention anything about it," he said, glancing at his partner curiously. "Kino, did you know about this? You should have said something."

"I had no clue," she shot back acidly. "Don't you remember? I skipped that night, since I was so tired? Or did you forget?"

He glared at her. "It must have slipped my mind," Syaoran retorted, before turning to the rest of the group. "What happened?"

"Well, uh…" Yamazaki looked at the rest of his friends nervously. They all seemed uneasy as well. No one wanted to tell Syaoran how badly mistreated his fiancée had been, especially since none of them had really done anything to prevent it from happening. "You see, the girls were pretty upset after Mei Ling left, since none of them knew Tsukishiro-san, and so it looked like she'd just stolen – not stolen!" he corrected hurriedly at the stony expression on Syaoran's face. "Um… they felt sorry for Mei Ling-san, and then Yanagisawa-san flipped, and dumped a pail of cold water of Tsukishiro-san's head." His words came out in a rush, and the group recoiled instinctively, waiting for the youngest Li to blow a fuse.

"I see," Syaoran said icily, his hand reaching out under the table and closing around Sakura tight fist. "And what did Sakura do after that?"

Yamazaki looked helplessly at Andou, who grimly agreed to bail his friend out. "She took it with incredible poise," he said, choosing his words carefully. "Terada-sensei's wife pushed Yanagisawa-san out of the way, and-"

"Terada-sensei's _wife_?" Sakura gasped, causing everyone to stare at her. Rika-chan had eloped with _Terada-sensei_?!?!

"Is there something wrong?" Eriol asked her gently.

She started, realizing her mistake. "Oh, no. I just didn't know that he was married is all."

Her explanation seemed to suffice, because Syaoran motioned for Andou to continue.

"Like I was saying, the girls got Yanagisawa-san out of the way, and then Daidouji-san and her just left. You know Syaoran, your fiancée is really something else," the dark-haired boy admitted, a bit impressed. "If my Misaki had gotten water dumped on her, there's no way in hell she could have simply bowed and excused herself from the scene, especially with all of the people watching."

The stoic prodigy had an indifferent expression on his face, but Sakura could sense rather than see, that he was boiling over with fury. "And what were you-"

Sakura elbowed him again in the ribs, cutting his words off. She shook her head slightly. It was none of their friends' faults; she didn't want to complicate the situation any more. After all, the one who really had a reason to be mad wasn't her, it was Mei Ling.

Sensing that it was about time to change the topic, Eriol turned to Syaoran and said in a serious voice, "Did you hear about Suzuki's squadron? Down near the border." Politics and war were excellent conversational distractions.

"They were sent down just two weeks ago for the routine inspection, weren't they?" Syaoran asked, his mouth in a tight line.

"Suzuki's right-hand man, Matsuno got shot in the arm by an arrow and they lost three other men. Yue-san told me right before dinner," he said somberly. "Apparently, there's a group of fighters in the woods. We haven't confirmed that they're from the South yet, but it is likely they are."

Syaoran, along with several of the other boys, cursed. "Damn those Southerners," the Li heir said darkly.

"I never thought they would actually cross into the border," Andou agreed, scowling.

Sakura shifted slightly. Conversations like these always made her uncomfortable. She'd never been well aware of the specifics of the war back at home in the South either. Only, she knew that all of _their_ men merely patrolled the Southern side of the forest, to keep Northerners out. Sakura had never heard of any Southerners crossing _into_ the North to fight.

"There was an assassination attempt on Andou's father on his way to the Academy," Syaoran told Sakura in a quiet voice as dinner ended and they rose from their spots at the table. "This war is getting ridiculous. We haven't had a head-on clash yet, but it's obvious that the South is trying to pull something. There'll likely be another meeting tomorrow morning, so don't bother waiting up for me. You can head on to breakfast first."

Sakura sighed and nodded. Politics and war. The constant discussion of how dishonorable and ruthless the South supposedly was made her wish that she had paid more attention to the situation back at home.

"Tonight's the staff fighting competition," he reminded her.

"Oh!" she groaned. "I forgot. I left my staff back at the dojo. I'll have to run and go get it."

Syaoran chuckled. "I believe the _both_ of us were caught up in other things before dinner. There's no need to hurry. You know that we're always the last to go in the preliminaries."

Sakura made a face. "No, _you're_ always last to go in the preliminaries. _My_ rank fluctuates so much that we can't be sure."

It was dark, and there was no one else around, so she grabbed his hand and giggled. "Shall we run?"

It was so silly and so idiotic, but Sakura felt a burst of glee as the two of them ran, hand in hand, back towards the dojo. Actually, she was amazed that Syaoran agreed to something so ridiculous at all. Later she would berate herself for such childish actions, but for the moment she wanted to enjoy the feel of Syaoran's larger hand around hers as they ran together back to their home.

_Home._ Sakura smiled at term. The Academy was really becoming home to her, too, wasn't it? All because Syaoran was there.

It really would have been a wonderful night, filled with more teasing and more laughing, and perhaps an evening full of snuggling, if Sakura could work up the courage to ask, but the arrival of a most unexpected guest sent crashing all of Sakura's dreams.

"Sakura."

She froze and Syaoran whirled around defensively to meet the intruder. They were just a few feet from the dojo, and a tall man was walking towards them in the darkness.

Syaoran shifted, pulling Sakura behind him. "Who are you?" he demanded coldly, his hand already on the hilt of his sword.

Slowly, Sakura turned around and, though she could not see the man's face, she recognized his voice.

"Onii-chan?" she whispered, almost frightfully. Next to her, Syaoran stiffened, and she could feel his eyes lock onto her, in shock.

The clouds that had been covering the moon must have decided at that very moment it was time to move, because all of a sudden, moonlight and starlight came pouring down from the sky, illuminating all three of them, and Sakura could clearly make out her older brother's furious expression as he continued to draw near to them.

"Sakura," he repeated, the anger evident in his voice. "What do you think you are _**doing**_?!"

"Onii-chan!" she gasped, stepping forward to try to explain. "Let me explain!" Her hand had automatically released its grip on Syaoran, but his hand refused to let go, and he pulled her back towards him roughly.

"Sakura," Syaoran asked in a calm voice. She knew he was anything but calm. "Who is this man?"

She looked from her fiancée to her brother helplessly. "This is my older brother, Syaoran. My older brother…" Tears sprang to her eyes. "Kinomoto Touya."

Syaoran's amber eyes widened.

"Get your dirty hands off of my sister, _gaki_," Touya seethed, with suppressed rage. "Sakura, what were you thinking? I return home to find everyone _dead_, and you _gone._ Sousuke told me that you came here to avenge our father and mother, but I come to find you _engaged _to the younger brother of the Northern **bastard** who **murdered our parents**?! What is the meaning of this?!"

Syaoran's expression turned stony. "Sakura?" he murmured in disbelief.

"Onii-chan!" Sakura protested. "It isn't like that! It's-"

"Then what _is_ it, Sakura?" Syaoran asked lowly. Sakura whirled around in astonishment at his tone. He released her hand and backed away slightly, crossing his arms and observing her coolly. "Kinomoto? Isn't that a Southern name? Who are you exactly?"

"You are so foolish Sakura," Touya continued, completely ignoring the younger male. "There are better ways to get closer to that murderer than _marrying_ a Li. I've come to get you. Come here. I'm sending you home."

No! Sakura's heart was pounding. This was happening too fast. She had to explain! "Onii-chan! Wait!" she gasped. "Just hold on! Syaoran," she turned to the amber-eyed boy who was eyeing her like he was seeing her for the first time.

"No, Syaoran! I didn't do that. I really _do_-"

"So you're _not_ really a Kinomoto?" he asked derisively. "Tell me, Sakura. Has this all been just a game to you?"

Sakura wanted to scream. "No! It hasn't!" she yelled, running over to Syaoran and throwing her arms around him, ignoring Touya's angry growl. "I never meant for – this is… this is what I've been trying to tell you! I – my feeling for you aren't a lie Syaoran! I **love** you!"

"So _this_ is the betrayal you've been talking about for so long," her partner chuckled coldly. Sakura went rigid at the disgust laced through his voice. "I'd been wondering what it was." Syaoran seized the two of her wrists hard, and pulled her arms off of him.

Her emerald eyes stared up at him in fear as his grip around her small wrists grew painfully tighter. "You were just using me, weren't you?" he asked softly.

"No Syaoran!" Sakura protested. "I wasn't. I really _do_ love you. I really do. I couldn't say so before, but I **love** you! I feel so safe – so _happy_ by your side! I want to stay with you!"

"Tell me," the Li heir smiled maliciously down at her. "Do you feel safe and happy next to me now?" Leaning forward, Syaoran captured her lips into a fierce and forceful kiss. He move so roughly against her that he drew blood, and Sakura whimpered in pain.

Almost immediately, Touya's fist smashed across Syaoran's face, sending the younger boy flying into the dirt.

"Syaoran!" she gasped, and tried to run to him, but Touya held her back protectively, a murderous expression on his face.

"Stay away from my sister, _**boy**_, or I won't hesitate to kill you," he threatened.

"No! Onii-chan! Stop it! I love him! Stop it!" she struggled against her brother.

"You should listen to your _Onii-chan_, Sakura," Syaoran laughed mirthlessly from his position on the ground. His amber eyes locked onto her emerald ones and held them there. "Just leave," he said. "I should never have trusted you."

Sakura would have collapsed had Touya not been supporting her.

"B-But…" she whispered. "You said…"

_You said that you would always care about me. _

"Obviously," Syaoran sneered coldly. "I didn't mean it."

Her face crumpled, and tears began pouring down her cheeks. "Y-You said," she sobbed. "You said that you wanted us to be-"

_You said that you would learn to love me!_

"That was before I knew what disgusting stock you came from, traitorous bitch." His words cut mercilessly through her flesh. This was what she had been terrified of – frightened to death of. The promises had been empty, the vows had meant nothing, but Sakura knew that Syaoran wasn't the one at fault. She felt something deep within her chest die as she realized that it was _her_ who had killed the two of them.

"I love you Syaoran," she whispered pathetically, tears clouding her eyes so much that her vision of him was blurred. "I love you."

"Go home Sakura." His voice was resigned and tired. "Just go home. I never want to see you again. Never appear in front of me again."

Her heart cracked. "Please," she whispered brokenly. "Don't-"

"You're an eyesore," Syaoran cut through her, driving a spear through her chest. "Get out of my sight. I don't want you by my side anymore."

Sakura was like a broken doll, silent tears streaming down her cheeks and her emerald eyes strangely blank. As the minutes ticked by, she finally mustered the strength to whisper, "I can't blame you. I wouldn't want me by my side either."

Syaoran's amber eyes were fixed on her, but he said nothing.

"Are you going to let me go?" she asked, a crooked smile finding its way to her lips.

Again, he didn't respond.

"Sakura," Touya said finally, helping her to her feet. "We should go."

She looked up at her brother, so familiar and yet so foreign, especially in the setting of her… Syaoran's dojo. Sakura tugged on his sleeve gently. "Stay here, and don't hurt him," she murmured in a small voice to Touya, before turning and running into the dojo.

The sounds of her footsteps were soft against the clean, polished wooden floor, and Sakura was in her room within seconds. Pulling out he bottom drawer and retrieving her Sakura scroll and her sword, she exhaled shakily. There was still one thing she had to do.

Sakura exited the dojo quickly, rushing back once again to her brother's side. She looked hesitantly at her partner, who had picked himself off the ground and was staring dispassionately at the two of them. She sucked in a deep breath. "Goodbye Syaoran," Sakura whispered, one last stray tear falling from her emerald eyes.

For a moment, Sakura actually thought he made a movement, as if to reach out to touch her, but he stopped himself.

"Leave," he said coldly.

Sakura choked. "Onii-chan," she begged.

Heeding his sister's frail plea, the head of the Kinomoto Clan took her by the hand and began running, pulling her away from the lie she'd been living for the past few months.

----------------

**Tsuzuku…**

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**Oh yes I just did… haha. Sorry guys, another wonderful place to stop, but it's not **_**technically**_** a cliffhanger. You should be grateful, since I seriously debated whether to stop right after Sakura says "Onii-chan" for the first time, but you can all thank my creative juices for not allowing me to end it there. **

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onii-chan – big brother

okaa-sama – honored mother

kami-sama – God

baka – idiot

gaki - brat


	25. Damn It

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Hahaha… yeah, I know it. I'm evil. But it's a gooood evil… at least now it is, because now that APs are officially over, I can finally concentrate! Isn't the world wonderful? :D Thanks to everyone for their support!**

**And, I'm sure you'll all be surprised, but this chapter is actually in Syaoran's POV, because I want you all to be perfectly fair to him. He's had a shock. And I think it'd be interesting to get into his head once in a while.**

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

----------------

**Chapter Twenty Five**

----------------

"I… don't understand what you mean."

"What do you _mean_ he's gone? You mean – as in gone from the Academy for a little while or gone as in no longer coming back gone?"

"I'm sure we're all perfectly clear on what Li meant, Sadaharu. That's why we-"

"No _you_ – you shut your mouth!"

"There's no need to raise your voices," Eriol cut in calmly.

After a pause, Kikumaru slumped against the floor and mumbled, "But he didn't even bother say goodbye…"

"Maybe something important came up…" Yamazaki reasoned, his face taut with restrained frustration. "I doubt Kino would do something so insensitive as to up and leave on us without so much as a word unless he couldn't help it.."

"What on earth was so important he couldn't make it down to the field to pass at least a 'sayonara' before vanishing?! I don't buy it."

"FUCK!" Andou yelled loudly, slamming his fist against the wooden walls of the dojo angrily. "Fuck him to hell!"

"Syaoran…" the sapphire-eyed first rank said evenly, his arms crossed as he sat meditatively at the back of the room. "There wasn't a note Kura-san left behind or anything?"

The Li heir's face remained cold and indifferent. "Kino apparently left in a carriage last night to return home. This was on the table in my dojo." He pulled from the folds of his gi a cream-colored envelope.

"Yes!" Jumping up from his seat, Andou ran over and grabbed the slip of paper. "Why didn't you say so earlier Li?" the spiky-haired student growled, unfolding it quickly and reading it aloud. "Some urgent business calls me back home... Sorry I couldn't say goodbye. I'll miss you all. Your friend… Kino."

The room fell silent.

"What kind of bullshit excuse _is_ that?!" Andou seethed flinging the paper across the room as if it were something disgusting. "That little traitor! Of all the ungrateful things… '_your friend_' my ass.."

If Syaoran had been a lesser man, the cruel smirk that itched to spread across his lips would have been in full bloom already. It was strange that he could feel such sadistic relief from the pain of his classmates. It made him feel almost relieved to watch the reactions of the others. There was an odd surge of satisfaction at seeing their disappointment and frustration with _her _- the woman who had betrayed him.

"Somehow… that seems way too distant for Kino to have written," Yamazaki murmured, frowning. "Whatever 'urgent business' is… must have been pretty urgent."

"He didn't even talk to you before he left Li?" Andou asked helplessly. They were all looking at him now, silently begging for answers.

Syaoran remained unmoved. He was not responsible for any of their pain or loss. The one who had lied to them all, him more than anyone else, was _she_. In his mind, Kino Kura… Kinomoto Sakura could just go rot in hell for all he cared. She was as good as dead to him. All that was left to do to stop the growing ache in his chest was to forget her completely and move on with his life. Even covering up her tracks like this seemed far too generous.

She was gone now. And nothing was going to change that.

"No," he answered coldly. "All I found was this note."

A fist rammed against the wall. "Kuso!" Andou cursed loudly. "No matter how bad his problems were… I thought we were friends!"

"If we're friends, then you should be more understanding," Eriol told the frustrated group quietly, but his eyes were on Syaoran. "I'm sure there's a reason for everything Kino did. He wouldn't have left unless he had to."

The youngest Li brother shrugged and walked coolly out the door. Their anger and frustration had nothing to do with him. None of them could possibly understand what he was feeling. He'd _trusted _her! – like the fool that he was. In the end, all of his emotions, all of his beliefs, all of his faith in her… had simply come to nothing.

"Stop thinking about it," he whispered silently to himself.

Once he was outside, Syaoran leaned against the wall for a few minutes longer, suddenly exhausted. Quietly, he listened to the conversation that continued inside.

"Li's probably pissed as hell," Kudou observed in a low voice.

There was a brief pause, and Syaoran assumed that everyone was either nodding or shaking their heads.

"I heard Yue-sama nearly had a fit when both Kino and Li didn't show up to the evening challenges, but he was probably too upset to even make it down to the grounds. Frankly, I don't blame him. I never thought Kino would up and disappear on us… and Li was closest to him too."

"**Damn** Kino… what the fuck was he thinking when he up and abandoned us? Running away like some sorry dog with his tail between his legs."

"Stop it Andou, you don't even know what happened. We _know_ Kino" – Syaoran chuckled darkly at the irony – "and he's one of us. I say that we ask around for what happened. For all we know he could be in some serious trouble."

Once again there was a pause.

"Still, what the hell is up with this _letter_?! Why didn't he just scratch a quick 'goodbye' and be done with it? Even that might have seemed more sincere. '_I'll miss you all_' my ass."

"Did you see the expression on Li's face when he finally came down to the challenge last night? He looked ready to kill someone… it was a good thing the event was already over."

"Instead of being scared of him shouldn't you feel _sorry_ for the guy?" a voice, Andou's, drawled sarcastically. "Kino was his partner _and_ roommate… personally, I wouldn't have blamed Li if he'd broken a couple of bones. I almost wish he'd have done it, just to relieve some of the frustration. Even Yue went from furious to solemn when he heard that Kino had left."

"Do you think Li's… you know, going to go back to the way he was before?"

"Shit, I wouldn't blame him if he was _worse_ than before. Kino's gone now, with nothing but a fucking three sentence _note_ to prove that he was ever here."

"Yeah… the two of them were almost attached at the hip. Funny, you know, for a while there I thought that maybe they…"

"Syaoran has a _fiancée_ now, remember? There's no way he… likes guys or anything…"

The student in question rolled his eyes. There was nothing for him to hear here.

His heart felt heavy though, and Syaoran could not quite force the painful memories out of his mind. Reaching up, he pulled from his gi the red, silk bag Sakura had left behind. In it was the ring he had given her, as well as a short letter.

"Syaoran…

_I won't ask you to forgive me. I suppose, in a way, I never intended to. But I want you to know that I really am sorry, and that I never wanted to hurt you. I won't repeat the feelings that were so disgusting to you when you found out who I was. All I pray is that you can simply hate me, or forget me in peace. Go back to Mei Ling. She loves you. I return this ring to you now… it was never meant for me in the first place. I suppose a relationship born from lies ill just end in pain anyways... this one already has. I'm sorry. I wish you the best._

_Kinomoto Sakura."_

Syaoran kept his expression schooled and stoic, but it was all he could manage not to wreak some serious havoc. He wanted to destroy something, rip something apart, tear to pieces every recollection he had of that lying bitch who'd come in, stolen his heart, and then trodden all over it. He could only thank Kami that he'd discovered her true face before it was too late.

"I love you Syaoran… I love you."

The only thing that kept him from putting a rather conspicuous, fist-shaped hole through the door was his desire to not attract any more attention. He wanted to be alone. He needed to be alone.

But even as he started walking away from the classroom building, with all intent to simply ditch the day's lessons and be by himself, Syaoran heard Eriol slipping quietly out after him. He made a point to not wait for his friend, hoping that Eriol would take the hint and leave him be. Of course, he didn't.

"We need to talk," Hiiragizawa said in a low voice, catching up easily to Syaoran. "About Saku-"

Syaoran whirled around, grabbed Eriol by the collar and pinned him against a tree. "Don't," he growled darkly. "Ever mention her name to me again. If you need to talk about something that concerns that bitch then it can wait until later. Leave me alone."

Sapphire eyes gazed up at him completely unfazed. "You-" Eriol began, but paused, as if rethinking his words. Finally, he said, "You – are upset right now. And I suppose it's only fair if I give you some time to get a grip on yourself. Go ahead and throw a fit if you have to, but **don't**," he emphasized the word 'don't' carefully. "**Don't** do anything rash. Not until you've had a talk with me. There's much that needs to be explained to you."

Eriol grabbed Syaoran's hands, which were fisted in his gi, and forced him off before straightening his clothes. "Come talk to me when you're ready," he warned. "But don't do anything stupid. You'll regret it."

Syaoran's amber eyes watched his friend disappear back into the classroom stonily. It was just like Eriol to know exactly what he had been thinking. With the information he had, Syaoran was in the perfect position to destroy the lives of every person who had been connected to her. It would have been the perfect stress relief.

"Don't do anything stupid. You'll regret it".

He struggled with himself to stay under control. Damn that Eriol. After a few seconds, Syaoran turned on his heel sharply and ran towards his dojo.

----------------

Syaoran collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily as he surveyed the destruction in front of him. It was a good thing that his dojo was private, and far from the rest of the Academy. Fifty thick, straw targets lay strewn across the polished wooden floor of his dojo, and all of them hacked mercilessly to pieces.

But it wasn't enough.

Syaoran's hand clenched tightly around the sword in his right hand, and barely flinched when a sharp sting of pain shot up from pressing the rough hilt of his blade into the bloody wound that had opened up in his palm.

_Why_ did this hurt so badly? The injury on his hand felt like nothing compared to the unrelenting ache in his chest. It was as if a gaping hole had split open and was screaming with excruciating pain. Being betrayed by anyone else he could handle. Being turned upon by comrades, being hated, being envied, being cursed, being misjudged – he could handle them all, but not from _her_.

Usually the anger and the fury would simply settle in. Then, it was a simple matter of taking slow, satisfying revenge. But there was not supposed to be a sense of _loss_ behind all of the rage. There was _**not supposed to be**_loneliness hidden just beneath the burn of hate.

His hand closed around his weapon even harder, drawing enough blood from his raw, red flesh to form a growing pool of deep, red liquid on the floor.

Yet in so far he could handle those emotions. Feeling so much pain and rage was unusual, but not foreign. The loneliness he could not quite understand, but surely even that would disappear with time. There was, however, one perilous road down which he refused to allow his mind to wander.

"But you – you said…!"

It was her voice… and it was haunting him. _Kami-sama_, why wouldn't it just go away?! The one who was the traitor wasn't _him_, it was _her. _After all, the Yukishiro Sakura he had made his promises to had never truly existed to begin with.

"Damn it," Syaoran cursed softly, covering his face with his left hand to hide from the nonexistent observers the tears that were streaming down his face. What was he supposed to be feeling, if not anger and hate? But if anything, there was more hurt and sorrow and regret than everything else… and uncertainty.

"Damn. It."

Why was this so unbearable? Why did it hurt so GOD DAMN MUCH that she'd been fake the whole time? He'd been used, he'd been deceived, lied to, betrayed – so why the FUCK wasn't the usual brutal, calculating fury reaching him? Anger streamed through his blood, pounded through his muscles, roared in his lungs… and yet it seemed to stop just short of his heart. There was a hole there, an emptiness that couldn't be touched by anything. He could feel nothing but deliberate, profound pain, churning with such intensity that Syaoran wondered if being run through by a sword there would even hurt, since there was already a gaping abyss where his heart should be.

Who the hell had he been kidding?

Syaoran realized, with another dull throb, that it was already too late. Didn't what he was feeling right now prove that he'd already fallen in love? It was so ironic – for him to deny it while they'd been happy, but to come to the realization now, that he had been completely, irrevocably in love with a woman who had never existed. That two-faced seductress from the South had certainly done a spectacular job. To think that _anyone_ could keep him so wholly blind to the truth, and manage to wrap him so fully and completely around her finger, Syaoran's head was still reeling from the revelation.

Last night, he had discovered the truth. Last night, he had done everything in his power, had said all the right words, had taken all the necessary actions to push are away, far, far away back to the South, where she belonged. She was gone.

So he had loved her. How pathetic. At least now he could come to terms with the truth, and simply forget her. That's all that was left to do.

"I wonder if she was laughing at me the whole time," he murmured into the silence brokenly. "Was I just her plaything? Someone here to amuse her until she'd accomplished her mission? I'm such a fool." Somehow, he didn't blame her for laughing. It was his fault for ever putting so must trust in anyone.

Images of Sakura's face began rushing to his head, flashing one after another, and Syaoran leaned back against the dojo wall, watching them go by almost serenely.

A picture of her bright smile.

Had she faked all of those too?

An image of the soft pink blush on her cheek.

Had she felt anything for him at all, ever?

The dazzling emerald of her beautiful eyes.

What had she been thinking while she was next to him – humoring him? Had she been laughing at him the whole time?

An image of the stray, happy tears pouring down her face as she held the ring he had given her so preciously in her hand, as if not quite believing that he had actually…

That had been real. Had it? Syaoran shut his own eyes tightly. "Damn it…"

----------------

For the next two weeks, Syaoran remained more or less completely isolated. He was dragged out of the dojo daily by an openly unsympathetic Eriol, who was quickly losing his patience, and he'd gotten more than an earful from a domineering Yue for having missed a formal challenge as well as a whole day's worth of lessons. If he'd been anyone else, he probably would have been punished, but maybe because all the teachers seemed to feel _sorry_ for him, they left him mostly alone. The others did too.

It didn't make any difference to him; he preferred to mull in his dark thoughts by himself anyways. Several times already he had been tempted to go straight to either Yue or his mother and reveal Sakura's origins and, by extension, Daidouji Tomoyo and Tsukishiro Yukito's traitorous positions, but Eriol always seemed to anticipate when his urges became too strong, and would always whip a few harsh, wise words in his direction to placate his mind, if only for a few more days.

But this time it wouldn't be his fault if he said anything. Li Yelan-sama, his honorable mother, had summoned him to her rooms, and more likely than not it was due to his fiancée's rather blatant absence from the Academy. The students had already begun to talk, and it was only a matter of time before someone was actually brave enough to ask him directly about where she was. After all, they'd been engaged for less than two days when she'd mysteriously disappeared.

"Syaoran. Come in."

The door slid open, and a maid bowed the young Li heir into the room before exiting and shutting it behind her.

Amber eyes rose and met black ones. She gestured at the chair adjacent from hers. "Sit."

Walking slowly to the center of the room, he bowed low to his mother before going to take the seat she had motioned towards. "You called for me, Okaa-sama," he said, inclining his head at her.

She looked just as beautiful and as royal as ever, with her dark, black hair piled high above her hair in a Chinese ornament, the clean, black and white Li clan robe, perfectly regal posture, and her ever-keen eyes observing him carefully under thick, dark lashes.

"Where has she gone?" Yelan asked in a smooth, crisp voice.

"She has gone home," he answered truthfully, his hand unconsciously tightening around the wooden armrest.

"I was most displeased to find Sakura-san absent from her brother's home, Syaoran," his mother continued. "Why has she gone?"

He glared straight at the wall across from him. He hadn't heard Sakura's name said aloud since the morning he had threatened Eriol. It was safe to assume that the rest of the students had been warned, because few "Kino"s and "Kura"s had reached his ears for the past few weeks too. But this was his mother, and she was commanding him to answer.

Syaoran clenched his teeth. "She does not belong here," he replied politely. "She's gone back to her home."

"Did you tell her to leave, Syaoran?"

"You're an eyesore… Get out of my sight… I don't want you by my side anymore…"

A vein throbbed in his temple with the effort to stay composed. "I did."

Yelan's eyes fluttered shut, and for the first time, Syaoran was amazed to find that his strong mother – the only woman he had ever admired, looked tired.

It was enough to make his stoic expression falter. "Okaa… sama?" he asked hesitantly.

The headmistress of the prestigious Northern Academy sighed suddenly. "I know who she is Syaoran."

He froze. "What do you mean?" Syaoran asked cautiously.

"You did not hear incorrectly," she told him, a frown on her face. "I thought I raised you better than this. Was it not you who chose her to be by your side? What has happened Syaoran? Why did you send her home?"

His mind reeled. "What do you mean… you know?" Certainly, Syaoran had suspected that it was _possible_ for his mother to have been aware that… but hearing it from her was a completely different matter, especially since he now knew that _she _was an enemy from the South. "For how long-"

"Since she was first introduced to me as Kino Kura I suspected. When she was introduced to me as Tsukishiro Sakura I was certain. The Li family has a great respect for the Kinomoto family, Syaoran. I recognize the traces of her parents' blood in her."

"Okaa-sama…" Syaoran said carefully, doing his best not to crush the wooden beams his hands were clenched around. "The Kinomoto family is from the south."

Li Yelan stared at her son with disappointedly. "Do you assume me incompetent, Syaoran?"

"But-"

"As I have learned from Eriol-san," she continued, ignoring his interruption. "You have not yet calmed down enough for him to explain the situation to you. However, it is not matters between the North and the South that are of importance right now. I have called you hear to ask you what you intend to do about your fiancée."

Syaoran fell silent.

Yelan looked over at her son before smiling softly. Getting up from her seat, she walked in front of him before enveloping her astonished youngest child in a hug. "Are you prepared to let her go?" she asked him.

He remained silent.

Sighing, she touched his head gently before drawing away. "You are not yet twenty, and yet I have treated you like an adult since you were twelve. You have borne the responsibilities of an adult and you have always conducted yourself in a way that has made me proud. Do not disappoint me now, Syaoran. I assume that you have no intention of returning to Mei Ling."

"No," he answered tightly.

"Very well," she once again sat down. "I leave the decision to you. However, I want you to go and speak with Eriol-san now. He is very concerned… and upset with you, as am I. You are dismissed, Syaoran."

He stood stiffly and moved to bow once again to his mother before exiting the room rather quickly.

Syaoran felt his ears still ringing from shock. His mother had known. Not just that Tsukishiro Sakura was Kino Kura, but that Kino Kura was also Kinomoto Sakura… _and she was okay with it_?! What was going on?

The moment he stepped off the foyer and onto the dirt path, however, Syaoran was forced to jump back as a blade cut through the air at him.

"Eriol," Syaoran growled dangerously, his hand moving to his own sword. "What is it you think you are doing?"

His friend was smiling, like always, but the smile did not reach his eyes. "You and I, Syaoran, are going to have a little match. And I'll tell you what; I'll even give you the option of where. Would you like to fight right here and right now, or back at your dojo?"

"What is this about Eriol?" Syaoran scowled. "I'm not in the mood."

Eriol sighed. "I've tried to be understanding, I really have, but neither you nor I nor Sakura-san have the time to wait for you to finally get over yourself, apparently. I've offered you the option of coming to me for an explanation… _dangled_ it in front of you for nearly two weeks, and still you've stuck to sulking and moping, so I suppose I have no choice but to knock some sense into you."

He grimaced. "Do you honestly have nothing better to do with your time Eriol?"

"I have plenty of things I could be doing, but beating some sense into your ass is something that I owe Sakura-san. You need to know at least _why_ she was here… and who she is," Eriol replied tersely. "The actual beating is, perhaps, unnecessary, but it will make me feel better."

"Glad to be of help," Syaoran bit sarcastically.

"Of course you are. Now, where would you like to go?"

----------------

In retrospect, Syaoran realized that he must have not been trying very hard, because the last time Eriol had so successfully wiped the floor with him was probably when they were ten. He groaned inaudibly as he dragged his heavy body off the wooden floor and sat up. Across from him in the corner was the pile of broken straw dummies he had massacred days earlier. Odd, that getting thrashed by his friend would feel more refreshing than demolishing targets.

"Take the gi off," Eriol instructed, his tone more gentle than before. Syaoran did as he was told, wincing as the split fabric of his top scraped over the wound on his arm. "I got carried away, perhaps," he said kindly, wrapping Syaoran's injury with the bandage he'd retrieved. "I did not mean to actually cut you."

"It's not a large wound," Syaoran muttered, glancing at the shallow cut on his left arm. "And you didn't get carried away. The one who was careless was me; I can't seem to concentrate on anything."

"It is just as well. How are you feeling?" Eriol asked.

"Angry," he answered seriously.

Hiiragizawa nodded before sitting down across from his friend. "I don't blame you for your emotions, but I am rather disappointed by your actions. I thought you had better control over yourself than that."

Syaoran's reply was bitter. "I thought so too."

Sapphire eyes observed the frustrated first-rank quietly. "I think it's about time you got some answers Syaoran," Eriol said smoothly. "Let's start in order, shall we? How much do you know about who Sakura-san is and why she came here?"

His fist clenched. That name again. "Her real name is Kinomoto Sakura… which means she's the daughter of the noble Kinomoto family from the South. The man who came to take her away was her older brother. I don't know his name."

"Kinomoto Touya, a spy from the South," Eriol supplied helpfully. "Are you aware of what happened to the Kinomoto family not half a year ago?"

"_What are you doing – engaged to the younger brother of the Northern __**bastard**__ who __**murdered **__our __**parents**__?!"_

Syaoran's eyes flashed. "They were killed, weren't they?"

"Such news is slow to reach the us from South if they do not desire us to know it, but yes, they were assassinated. Do you know by whom?"

… _to the younger brother of the Northern __**bastard**__ who __**murdered **__our __**parents…**_

It was not as if he hadn't given thought to this topic before, and yet it didn't change the fact that she had used him. If anything, it made more barefaced the fact that he had merely been a means for her to get closer to her goal.

"She thinks that it was either Gaoran or Dairan," Syaoran answered roughly. "But that's what happens when the country is at war. If you thought that this would make me feel any differently about-"

"Do not get so ahead of yourself, Syaoran," Eriol cut him off, a steel edge to his voice. "No one but you, I, and a handful of people who are connected to Sakura, are aware of this. I would not have known, myself, that Sakura-san believed her parents to be murdered by one of your brothers, if Tomoyo-san had not finally told me."

"Daidouji… I had forgotten about her. What-"

"Don't you think it strange?" he interrupted again. "The Kinomoto family is not active in the war at all. If anything, it is well known here in the North that they are, for the most part, completely pacifist and are trying to argue for peace. Why would someone want to assassinate them?"

Syaoran frowned. "Those opposed to peace, I suppose."

"And why would one of _your _older brothers be responsible for their deaths then?"

"How the hell should I know what that lying traitor is thinking?" Syaoran growled angrily. "Get to your point already Eriol!"

A fist slammed cleanly across Syaoran's face, snapping his head to the side. Both males shook slightly with the effort it took to keep their outbursts in check. "Do you _honestly _think that she came here to use you Syaoran?" Eriol asked harshly. "Is that what you really think? Imagine what you would do if Yelan-sama was murdered by some nameless man from the South?! What would _your _reaction be?!"

"Damn it," Syaoran cursed again, running a tired hand through his dark hair. "Damn it. Just be quiet." This was the one train of thought he avoided completely. If his mind took its precarious path, then what he'd find at the end Syaoran wasn't sure. These thoughts ran too closely with the feelings of guilt and of regret he had suppressed into the deepest parts of his heart. They would leave him _open_ again… free to hurt again, to think of her as a _person_ again, to sympathize with her needs again, and to finally fall for her _all over again_. He would betray himself.

"Maybe you don't want to think about it," Eriol muttered, his anger better contained this time. "But it's a truth you cannot deny. Your family murdered half of hers first."

He let the words linger in the air for a few seconds for effect before continuing. "Not that that justifies her revenge, of course. If vengeance were justified, then the bloodbath would never end. But still, from the way I look at it, Sakura-san came here to silence forever just one person, and that one person would be one of your older brothers. You can hardly blame her for her sentiments."

"She should have just come and taken what she was after instead of treading dirt through all of our lives," Syaoran said ruthlessly. "She had no business with me. She's from the South, an enemy. Kami-sama knows I'm betraying the North just by keeping my silence. I do not love my brothers, but they are on our side, at the very least."

"That is where you are incorrect."

Syaoran stopped at these words, and eyed his friend carefully. "Explain," he demanded.

Eriol stretched slightly, before resettling himself. "You are under the impression that I am training to become the next spymaster of the North."

He nodded.

"Then you are incorrect, once again. The truth is, I have been the spymaster of the North for over a year now," Eriol said as plainly as possible. He noted warily that Syaoran barely flinched, but beneath the calm exterior, the young Li heir was likely throwing a fit. "I acquired this position when Yue formally resigned from the occupation last June."

"Yue was spymaster? Not just a general?" Syaoran murmured, shocked. "Eriol, you're not even of age."

"You know that the person who holds the position of spymaster is kept secret, for obvious reasons. When Yue handed the reins over to me, he said that age wasn't really an issue," he continued, scratching the back of his neck a bit sheepishly. "It hasn't been easy keeping an eye on everything that goes on, especially with all the complications that we've recently become aware of."

Amber eyes hardened. "And some of those complications have to do with my family?"

Eriol crossed his arms seriously. "This is only a theory so far. What we know for sure is that a majority of Northern families do not wish for war nor do they condone instigating any fighting. Our spies sent into the South report a very similar situation there. Recently, it has come to our attention that a third party has been moving, as a sort of middle man between the two regions, keeping war alive, and brutal."

He paused, but as Syaoran remained silent, Eriol took it as a sign to continue. "Up until last month, we still had no clue as to who could possibly be heading the third faction, but-"

"You think it's Gaoran and Dairan," Syaoran said coldly.

Eriol observed Syaoran calmly. "This is merely a theory. If one of them is indeed responsible for the death of Sakura-san's parents… I can think of no other likelier party. The whole of the South, especially those who had been hoping for peace, were immediately thrown into a rage. They want blood, and the entire Kinomoto family is currently missing. The situation is not good. However, we are as of yet uncertain."

"What do you plan to do? Question them?"

"You are upset."

Syaoran's eyes flashed. "Of course I am. You are accusing two members of the main Li family of orchestrating the entire Japanese civil war."

"It is merely a possibility."

"What do you plan to do?"

Eriol sighed. "I am not so indelicate as to question either of them outright. We will merely be observing their actions rather carefully. I want to take this opportunity to ask you if you might know anything about… this situation. Anything at all."

"Is my mother aware of this?"

"Everything short of Gaoran and Dairan being suspects. In fact, only I, Yue-san, and Yukito-san are currently aware of this possibility at all."

"Yukito-san too?"

"Which is why I told you not to do anything rash in your anger. You running in and making accusations would have caused a fuss that would have put several key people in danger."

Syaoran paused, thinking it all through. "Is that all you have to tell me?"

"Is there anything you might know Syaoran?"

The Li heir frowned. "They're currently after Clow's old possessions. They're looking for his swords… one of the scrolls I have, and the other… _she_ has. That's about all I'm sure of."

A surprised look crossed Eriol's face. "I see," he said quickly. "Is there anything else?"

"I'll think on it Eriol. If there's nothing else, I'll talk to you again later. You owe me an explanation for all the secrecy."

The sapphire-eyed first rank sighed deeply. "I now wish I had told you all this sooner. But I want to say something more," he fixed Syaoran in a level stare. "I will not say that Sakura-san does not deserve your anger, but I am not so certain she deserves your hate. Are you really willing to just let her go? You know just as well as I do that she did her best to be as honest as she could to us all. She is not the type of girl to willfully wish those around her unhappiness."

"_Eriol_."

"Think on it," he advised, getting up and brushing his pants off. "Sorry about the cut again. There's another challenge tonight, so don't miss it. Your rank already dropped to fifth since you skipped the staff-fighting task. I'll see you later."

Syaoran watched him leave without saying anything. He supposed that maybe he should be more concerned with his brothers, or even with the new possibility of a fake and controlled war, and yet it was Eriol's last few comments that swam in his mind. His words and his mother's words.

"_Are you prepared to let her go?"_

Wasn't it obvious? It was something he'd already decided! "Damn it," Syaoran cursed again. He didn't know. But what else was he supposed to do? She was gone, and that was it. This was exactly what he had not wanted. He did not even want to think about the possibility that Sakura had not meant to use him at all. He did not even want to _touch_ upon the chance that she might have meant it when she said she loved him. He did not even want to consider that maybe the wonderful moments he had spent with her for nearly five months had _not_ bee faked and forced after all – that they had been real.

And he, being the all-knowing, arrogant _ass_ that he was, had told her to leave, and to never return to his side. He'd told her that she was an eyesore… called her a bitch… called her a _traitor_, and for all that she was, Syaoran was worried that the hate and anger he had thrived upon for the past few weeks was quickly evaporating into nothingness.

Damn. He missed her.

--------------

**Tsuzuku…**

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**So… did I do a decent job prying through Syaoran's brain? I must admit, I'm not quite as used to it as I am Sakura's… so I'm sure that telltale signs of my ignorance are definitely there. Forgive me, I tried my best, and hopefully it was satisfactory. As for next week's chapter, I'm promising an interesting turn out. None of you really believed that Sakura was just going to leave and never return, right?**

**Thanks for reading!**

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Okaa-sama – honored mother

kuso – basically a curse word. A good modern-day parallel would be, Shit!

Kami-sama - God


	26. Rika

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP. **

**Haha, thanks for all the reviews again. I cannot **_**stress**_** how much they motivate me, and some of your comments are really thoughtful and really very satisfying to read. :D**

**So, the colossal task of trying to pick apart Syaoran's brain was completed… somewhat decently, I hope, and I'm back on grounds I'm familiar with – picking apart a **_**female**_**'s brain. Haha. Enjoy. **

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Twenty Six**

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Sakura stared quietly out the carriage window, watching the scenery of people, cottages, and trees move past as swiftly as the horses pulling them. Her emerald eyes were dim, and her mouth bore no signs of smiling.

Next to her, Touya shifted slightly. Sakura's eyelashes fluttered shut for a few seconds. She knew her brother furious with her, but she also knew that his worry for her current condition was even greater than his anger. He loved her, and it scared him to see her so changed – so sad and so vengeful. He had flatly refused to allow her to remain in the North, since there was no way he could risk his precious little sister's neck for something as petty as revenge. He'd handle the situation himself, or so he had said.

But she _was_ changed, and there was no way she could go back home, and poor Touya would just have to learn to live with the fact. She was returning to the Academy to finish off both Gaoran and Dairan, no matter what the cost. Even if the price was death… even if _he _was still at the Academy…

The pain in her chest sharpened instantly as her thoughts grazed over the topic of her former partner. It hurt – it hurt so _**badly**_, and yet Sakura would have to live with it, because she knew that it was her fault. It had always been her fault. She couldn't blame Syaoran for reneging on his word and demanding that she leave. After all, what right had she to expect any fulfillment of vows from him in the first place? He couldn't help but hate her after finding out who she really was. The blame was hers.

Her emerald eyes opened once again, and she looked, in surprise, to see in the distance the trees she had come through over four months ago. They'd gone farther North for Touya to rendezvous with some of his comrades, and had stayed with them a few days, but now she was finally being sent back over the border, and the forest was drawing closer and closer with each passing second. Sakura's pulse quickened. Why was it taking so long?

As if sensing her anxiety, Touya reached over and pulled the curtain shut abruptly. "Don't look," he said gruffly. "This will all just be a bad memory once you get home. Don't worry Sakura, our plans are reaching their conclusion, and I'll be able to go back soon too. Otou-sama and Okaa-sama might be gone, but the two of us are still a family."

"Onii-chan…" Sakura whispered. Another reason to hate herself – the list was really getting very long wasn't it? She was going to make her brother worry… _again_.

"Don't worry kaijuu," he smiled down at her reassuringly. "It'll be okay. Why don't we-"

Sakura screamed for better effect as the carriage lurched to the side of the road violently. They came to rough stop, and Touya kicked open the door and jumped out to calm the horses down. Sakura followed behind him quietly, flinching slightly when she saw how pale their driver, Touya's friend, looked.

"Asami! What's wrong?" Touya demanded, rushing over to Sakura, who was kneeling by the sweating driver's side. "What happened?"

Their driver, Asami, winced and smiled weakly up at the two of them. "Sorry about that… don't know what happened, exactly. Ah… shit," he muttered, rolling over and dragging himself off the coach, and threw up into the bushes.

"Oi, oi… you're not serious are you?" Touya asked, sighing. "Did you eat that puffer fish at that restaurant last night? I'm sure I told you not to."

"But I didn't…" Asami groaned, protesting.

"I bet you sneaked an order when no one was looking. I thought the bill was too high. This is what you get for eating something poisonous. Here," he handed his sick friend a water flask. "Drink. We'll drop you off at the village and then I'll pick you up on my way back. Can you stand?"

Sakura went to help, and together, the two of them hoisted their incapacitated driver up and placed him on one entire side of the stagecoach. Taking out her handkerchief, she began dabbing lightly at the sweat covering Asami's face.

Touya sighed and turned towards her. "Sakura, gomen, but can you watch him while I drive? There's no way he can manage up front in the state that he's in."

She climbed in and sat down opposite of Touya's friend. "Don't worry about me, Onii-chan. I'll be fine."

He smiled at her, reaching over and ruffling her hair. "Thanks kaijuu. Just wait a bit. We'll be home before you know it."

She smiled back at him, but the upward motion of her lips did not quite reach her eyes.

The head of the Kinomoto family shut the door, and Sakura waited patiently as her brother climbed onto the front of the stagecoach and readied the horses. Her emerald eyes softened as she stared at the man laying down just across from her, clutching his stomach and groaning lowly.

Once again, she took out her handkerchief and began wiping the sweat off his brow. "Everything will be okay, Asami-san," she said quietly. "I'm sure your stomach will be better in no time, so why don't you just sleep? I'll be here to watch over you."

The brown-haired man smiled up at her, but grimaced as another wave of stomach cramps lurched through his body. He made an irritated noise at the back of his throat. "Thanks Sakura-chan, you're a good kid. I can't believe someone like Touya has a sister as nice and as pretty as you."

Sakura didn't respond, but only continued to look after him gently. "Sleep," she repeated soothingly. Within a few minutes, the horses were once again pulling them towards town, and Asami was drifting off quickly.

Pulling aside the curtains, Sakura peeked outside. They'd be crossing the closest path to the Academy shortly. She had to get ready.

Swiftly undoing the large obi tied around her waist, Sakura whipped out a long, pink sash from her bags, which she tied in the obi's stead. This way, her movement would be less restricted. Picking up her belongings and sword, she checked one more time to make sure that Asami was still secure and asleep, before opening the door to the carriage, pushing it out just far enough so that she could slip through.

Sakura stared at the quickly moving ground in front of her and took a deep breath. It was really a good thing that she was still wearing her normal sandals instead of the traditional ones for females. Touya had let her wear the more comfortable set since they were traveling.

She shifted so that she was standing fully on the front step right under the door, before shutting it and taking the plunge, jumping as far forward as she could manage so that she wouldn't land on the path. Sakura realized, in retrospect, that she really should have tossed her things out into the bushes first, because they weighed heavily down on her when she hit the ground, slamming into her back and forcing her head even further into the green foliage, earning her a mouthful of leaves.

The landing was painful enough, but successful. Wincing, Sakura ducked down and crawled forward to check to see if Touya had noticed anything. It was only after she confirmed that the coach was no longer in sight that she released the breath she had been holding.

Sakura made a mental note to apologize to Asami-san later, if she ever saw him again. She felt bad, but she'd been unable to think of any other way to get away from her brother.

Sakura looked at the position of the sun in the sky before leaning against a tree and allowing herself a few seconds of rest. The survival test challenge would begin that night, and since it would be taking place outside, she would be able to reenter the Academy without too much trouble, disguising herself as a guest or as a student of the Daidouji Academy. The problem came after that. If her one last, safe connection at the school failed her, Sakura was as good as caught.

Her brow furrowed as she reviewed the plans she'd laid out in the past few days she'd stayed with her brother and his friends at their hideout. She wouldn't be able to go to Tomoyo, not immediately at first, since she wasn't sure where her friend and cousin stood. Until she was positive Tomoyo wouldn't jump at the chance to send her back home to the South and contact her brother, Sakura would be staying with her only other companion from the South – Terada Rika.

Her lips curled upwards slightly. There, at least, was a relationship that had lasted despite North-South constraints. Soft-spoken but perceptive Rika and Terada-sensei – who would have known? She'd recognized Sakura immediately the night Mei Ling had found out about her and Syaoran. A simple black wig hadn't been enough to fool her- they'd grown up together, after all. Now, all that was left to do was to count on her old friend's good will and hospitality.

Her eyes shut tightly. The last thing in the world she wanted was for Syaoran to see her… and recognize her. Her heart squeezed painfully in reflex. There was enough heartache there now… she already hurt more than she thought she ever could hurt… she _missed_ him, but she had a mission to accomplish. She couldn't afford to hurt him, or anyone else, any more.

Sakura inhaled sharply, closing her heart to the agonizing emotions that threatened to break in and tear her apart. Forcing down the tears, She reminded herself that she couldn't afford to feel anything right now – didn't have the right to.

For the past week and a half, Sakura had been like a limp puppet, eyes blank, mouth motionless, and heart like stone. It was only three days ago that she'd begun to awaken from her nightmares of seeing _him _utter his final rejection of her again and again. Then Sakura had realized, by forcing all the memories, thoughts, and feelings from her head, she was able to at least _move_ and think clearly.

Sakura could hardly remember the days following immediately after her parents' death. Had it been so difficult then? So utterly painful? No – at that time, she'd had hate and fear to drive her forward. The loss, the hurt had been there as well, but there had, at least, been something she could channel those emotions towards. That first tragedy was what had led her here, after all. This time, however, there was no one to blame but herself, and though her hate for Gaoran and Dairan had in no way subsided, the pain she had caused both herself and Syaoran might never subside.

In any case, the emotional scars were still too raw, too tender for her to touch. She could cry and hate herself afterwards. Now, though, she had to isolate herself from him to just keep functioning, since function she must, if she was going to exact revenge on Syaoran's brothers.

----------------

"Sakura-chan?" The shoji door cracked open slightly, revealing a shocked brunette standing in the doorway.

At Sakura's tired grin, the door flew completely open, and the daughter of the Kinomoto family was immediately enveloped in a warm hug from her friend. "Sakura-chan!" Rika exclaimed in a hushed voice. "I can't believe it's really you! Come in! Come in!" Her copper-colored eyes surveyed the dark backdrop of the night quickly before ushering her friend into the house. "When I got your note after I heard about your engagement… I was so surprised!"

Sakura smiled weakly. "I have so much to tell you, Rika-chan, but first could we find a more secluded area to..." she trailed off, but the young housewife immediately understood.

"Of course, come this way please," she said quickly, leading Sakura down the left hall. "My husband is out, and most of my servants are out on errands, so it is unlikely that we will be disturbed, but you don't need to be afraid in my household. No one here will hurt you." She paused at an unused guestroom and opened the door. "Please, in here."

"Arigatou, Rika-chan," Sakura sighed, sinking exhaustedly onto the tatami floor.

"I was so worried when I heard that you returned home… is that your alias in the North, Tsukishiro Sakura?" Rika asked, concern etched onto her face. "And you're not wearing the wig I saw you with at that party… what in the world is going on?"

"First, I need to ask you something, Rika-chan," Sakura said softly, taking her friend's hands in her own. "Do you believe in me? Can I trust you to keep me a secret?"

Rika's eyes widened. "What is this? Of course I believe you Sakura-chan! And I won't tell a soul-"

"Even your husband?" she asked steadily.

The brunette stopped, and her hands folded neatly into her lap. "Sakura-chan," she said in a small voice. "I'm so sorry, but I _can't_ keep you a secret from him. But I can promise that neither of us will hurt you! We'll keep you safe. Yoshiyuki-san is very kind, and I think you'll like him."

Sakura felt a soft grin tug at her lips. Yes, she _was _rather fond of Terada-sensei. He was a good teacher and a good man, the perfect husband for Rika, and chances were that he was so busy with the competition at the moment that he wouldn't have much opportunity to meet her in any case. She'd just have to act as un-Kino-like as possible whenever around him. She looked really very feminine at the moment, and normal people would be unlikely to suspect that she was actually the recently departed student of the Academy she was.

"That's fine… but I'm afraid that my presence might be…" she sighed. "A bit of an imposition, though. Technically speaking, I'm not _supposed _to be here at all. No one can know about me, especially Syaoran."

Rika looked at her sadly. "Was the Li boy bad to you? Yoshiyuki-san has a very high opinion of him, but of course that's likely from a satisfied instructor's standpoint."

"I'm sorry, Rika-chan," Sakura apologized, feeling horrible for keeping secrets from her friend while relying upon her for so much. "But I can't tell you everything. No, Syaoran was not bad to me – he's really a very, very wonderful person and – but certain… circumstances have changed, and I need to go into hiding. _No one_, Rika-chan, and I mean not a soul," she said earnestly. "Can know that I'm here. Terada-san won't say anything either, will he? I know he has responsibilities to this Academy as a teacher, and forcing him to remain silent might put him in a difficult position-"

"Sakura-chan," Rika said seriously but kindly, brushing a stray hair out of her friend's face and tucking it behind her ear. "Who was it that saved my family from shame and even went as far as to help cover up some of _my_ tracks when I ran away from the South to marry my husband?"

The emerald-eyed girl was startled. "How did you-"

"While my mother does not approve of what I did, she does not hate me. We keep in touch secretly, even if we can no longer meet each other because of the war," she answered somberly. "You were one of my only friends who defended me. I plan on repaying the favor in full."

"I didn't do all of that for you to owe me anything," Sakura said helplessly. It was so strange that she was saying these things now. Wasn't she the one who was supposed to be begging to stay with her friend? Why was Rika the one insisting that she remain now?

"You did it because you are an amazing, wonderful person, and because you are a good friend. I want to help you too, Sakura-chan, especially now that I am in a position to do so. Yoshiyuki-san will understand."

Sakura felt both gratitude and guilt overflow from within her. A knock came at the door suddenly, and Rika went immediately to head her maid off.

"Yes, please bring a tea set and leave it by the door," she said kindly. "It's really getting late, you should get to bed Chiwo-san. Yes, don't worry. Of course I'll be fine. Thank you."

Emerald eyes looked around the small but comfortable room slowly while she waited for the mistress of the house to finish. It was more than she had any right to expect. Rika was truly too good to her. With a sad sort of pang, Sakura wondered if her beautiful friend would feel betrayed too, once Sakura murdered two key Northerners.

Rika returned to her side with two cups of simmering hot tea. "So, tell me what's been going on, Sakura-chan."

"Where should I begin?" Sakura laughed slightly. "Let's see… I am no longer engaged to Li Syaoran, though you might hear otherwise. I came to the North to look for someone, and I became Tsukishiro Sakura in order to hide my identity, for obvious reasons. I never really planned to–" Her eyes dimmed as Syaoran's face flashed through her mind, but if Rika noticed she didn't say anything. "On getting married into the Li family, but I still haven't completed my reason for coming here yet, so I cannot go home. That is my… current situation."

There were gaping holes in the "truth" that she told, like always, but it was as honest as she could afford to be, and her friend seemed to realize this too. Sakura was pulled into a gentle hug. "So it is important that no one know you're here and that no one see your face in case they recognize you, right?" Rika said sympathetically. "I understand. I'll let my husband know that you're here later, but for now, please stay in this room. If I can be of any help, please let me know Sakura-chan."

Her eyes watered, just slightly. "Arigatou, Rika-chan."

Rika smiled warmly. "Douitashimashite. Now why don't you get some sleep? There's a futon in the corner – do you need dinner?"

"It's alright. I'm mostly sleepy," she replied.

Sakura waited until the shoji door slid shut and the lamplight from Rika's candle disappeared from the hallway before crawling over to the futon and collapsing onto it. Her hand clenched the smooth fabric, and she curled up into a fetal-like ball.

Even here, in the warm house of a friend, she felt the loneliness and the pain overwhelm her.

"This is it," she whispered. "You're back in, and this time you've got to concentrate Sakura. Finish the job quickly, before Touya or Eriol or… anyone else can stop you. Pull yourself together Sakura." A couple stray tears leaked out of her eyes. "Hold it together."

----------------

Syaoran squinted irritably at the sun as he and Andou lounged comfortably in the stone cave they'd chosen as their base. A survival challenge – and what more, importing _bears _and _wolves_ for them to fight off just to make things more interesting? Not that he was incredibly bothered by the idea of wild animals, but it was simply too extravagant. This must have been Dairan's idea.

"Hey Li, is it really all right if we just stay in here all day?" Andou asked, poking his head out of the large alcove and looking around. "I mean… aren't we supposed to be _surviving_ or something?"

The amber-eyed Li heir grunted. "Are you not breathing, Andou? That would be the definition of _surviving_."

The black-haired student scowled darkly. "You know what Li, you've been pissing me off recently. If you don't want to talk about him, that's fine – but you don't have to act like such a damn prick whenever anyone mentions Kino's-"

"If what you want to do is go out and fight bears, then be all means be my guest," Syaoran cut in coldly, not batting an eyelash.

The second rank's hands balled into fists. "Damn it Li! I've had just about enough of your arrogant cheek. I'm pissed off at Kino too and yeah – the next time I see him that punk is getting a beating, but at least I don't act as if I don't _care_. Don't pretend like you don't miss-"

"You are _**mistaken**_, Andou," he cut in icily. "Why don't you just go pine over your little friend like a loyal puppy somewhere else? Your incessant chattering is a bother."

"Why are you such a fucking _coward_?!" Andou yelled furiously.

Syaoran's sword was out within half a second, and pointed at Andou's throat. The young noble barely flinched. "So what?" he drawled lazily, daring the furious Li heir to attack. "Going to cut me?"

Syaoran narrowed his eyes dangerously before sheathing his sword. "Get out," he hissed, punching Andou across the face forcefully, sending him flying to the floor. "If you don't want to stay here out of trouble, then leave. We may be partners for this task, but there's no rule stating that you need to stay here." He turned away from the fallen Andou indifferently, returning to his seated position on against the far wall.

"Shit Li. I'm leaving. If you want to stay here and hide like the scared dick in denial you are then fine. You obviously don't need Kino, and you don't need me. Good riddance." Andou stormed out of the cave loudly, and his angry outburst echoed off the walls for seconds after his departure, but once the ringing stopped, Syaoran was once again left alone to his thoughts.

Amber eyes glared irately at a small yellow flower growing up from the dirt next to him. Reaching out, his fingers closed around its thin, green stem and pulled, plucking the bright blossom from its foundation.

_You obviously don't need Kino, and you don't need me. Good riddance._

"Good riddance…?" he repeated in a low voice to himself. Syaoran sighed, leaning exhaustedly back against the stone wall, groaning. "What the hell is wrong with me?" he asked, grimacing. He knew he was being a bastard to everyone around him, but he just didn't care. Even after Eriol had done his best to "beat" some sense into the self-absorbed seventeen-year-old, everything seemed so meaningless to him. There was something missing, but Syaoran refused to dwell on what it was. It would be easier to simply forget and return to the way he used to be.

He stared listlessly down at the yellow petals. Its color was so bright, in direct contrast with his own black and white everyday. _Missing_…

If you want to stay here and hide like the scared dick in denial you are…

He scowled darkly again. Damn Andou.

The hours passed by slowly, leaving plenty of time for him to think about nothing at all. The challenge, begun two nights ago, required only that they stay in one piece for a week, and so far nothing even remotely dangerous or interesting had occured. There was no reason to go out, seeking danger instead of waiting for it was a pointless endeavor. When Andou did not reappear by the time the sun had set, however, Syaoran was finally forced to search for him.

"The idiot," Syaoran grumbled, walking out of the cave irritably and surveying the forest around him. "Where the hell did he go?"

Birds erupted out of the trees suddenly as a pained yell tore through the forest. His expression became grim. That had been Andou's voice.

Syaoran began running in the direction of the scream. When he arrived, however, he found Andou unconscious on the ground, a large gash on his arm, which looked as if it had been made by a claw. More specifically, he realized as he heard a loud roar resound through the woods, a bear claw.

Below him, Andou groaned.

"Easy there," Syaoran said stiffly, going over to his side and helping him sit up. "The bear is gone… what happened?"

"Li! Go after – bear," Andou gasped in pain, clutching his arm.

"Are you crazy?" he demanded grimly, surveying the damage carefully. Andou's left arm was cut open fairly deep, but he wasn't bleeding too badly. Swiftly, Syaoran cut off a piece of his uniform and wrapped it around the wound to temporarily stop the blood. "Can you stand? I'll clean the cut after we get back to the cave. This is what you get for acting like a hotheaded-"

Andou grabbed Syaoran's collar with his good arm roughly, panting. "Damn it Li! Go after the bear. Just now – a girl – aghh" he paused, catching his breath. "Girl led the bear away from me. She-"

"What?" Syaoran exclaimed, setting Andou back down on the ground quickly. "You must be joking."

"Now is _not_ the time for-"

"Will you be alright on your own?" he asked quickly, already drawing his sword.

"Damn it, just _go_ already! I'll be fine."

Syaoran scowled at him, tossing his hip flask to his wounded companion. "There's alcohol in there. I'll be back soon. If you die, I'm not going to be held responsible."

"_**Li!**_"

Syaoran did not bother to stay to argue. Turning, he raced off to the section of trees Andou had been desperately pointing at. Several saplings were mauled to the ground, leaving evidence of their large destroyer's path. He glowered angrily. A girl? Weren't all the Daidouji students supposed to stay outside of the forest? What female in her right mind would –

His blood turned cold as a second high-pitched scream whipped through the air. Picking up his pace, Syaoran ran as quickly as he could, but stopped when he reached a clearing and the sound of water reached his ears. It was a waterfall, he realized, and on the far side of the pool of liquid were two figures, backing away from a large, dark brown bear. One of them was definitely female, and Syaoran recognized her to be Terada-sensei's wife. The other looked to be a woman too, but she was wearing a dark cloak so he couldn't be sure. In the hands of the one with the cloak was a long, gleaming sword Syaoran thought looked familiar.

"Don't move!" he shouted, his deep voice booming. The bear's head turned at the sound of a male voice, and the cloaked figure with the sword took advantage of the beast's distraction, springing forward and cutting deep into the bear's forepaw. Not bothering to stop, she, Syaoran was strangely certain that she was indeed a she, grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her forward to the other side of the bear. The two of them began running away from the waterfall.

Syaoran was momentarily awed by the beautiful movement of the sword through the air. Whoever the woman the cloak was, she was undoubtedly skilled with the blade. The next moment, however, he was running once again towards the two girls. Assessing the situation quickly, Syaoran uttered a string of expletives. There was no way any of them were getting out of this without injuries. Fighting a bear was not the same as fighting a man.

He moved to cut the bear's path off from Terada's wife and the cloaked woman, but switched gears immediately when Terada-sensei himself sprang from the woods and went to defend the two women. The bear's claws slashed and he heard his teacher's strangled cry, but Syaoran focused grimly on the task at hand.

Drawing his sword back, Syaoran surged forward forcefully. As the bear rose once again to attack the cloaked girl who had rushed to defend her friend's husband, Syaoran cut through the animal's thick back powerfully, driving his blade into the beast's heart.

His sword must have pierced through bone along the way, because it was impossible for him to dislodge his sword. The animal moved wildly beneath him, thrashing and roaring in pain. Syaoran barely jumped away in time as it made one more desperate slice at him. It let out a terrible shriek as it writhed, jerking in several directions before falling with a loud crash to the ground.

A sharp, silvery snap split through the air, and Syaoran's amber eyes widened with horror as he watched half of his sword fling through the air and land into the dirt as the bear fell. The cloaked figure let out a scream as well, doing her best to move Terada-sensei out of the way. With the help of his wife, they were able to do so just in time.

Rika broke down sobbing, grabbing onto the bloody body of her husband and repeatedly asking over and over if he was okay.

The horse master smiled slightly, wincing. "I'm fine. The cut isn't deep; I was able to jump out of the way for the most part."

Suddenly, the cloaked figure seized Rika's kimono and whispered something furiously into her ear. Rika's copper-colored eyes widened before she pulled herself together and nodded.

"Li-kun," she spoke clearly, though there was a small tremor in her voice. "Please go tend to Andou-kun's injuries. I will see to my husband, and this girl will go get help."

Syaoran's eyes flickered over to the hooded figure, who was already disappearing from view behind the trees, walking very quickly. It was odd that a girl who was just attacked by a bear would be willing to track through the woods by herself, but perhaps the need at that moment was too dire. Nodding, he picked up his broken sword and sheathed what was left of it. "I'll hurry back," he said stoically, before turning and leaving.

----------------

Sakura ran through the woods as fast as her shaking legs would carry her, which was not very fast seeing as the long scratch up her left leg was slowing her down. She had to get far away, as soon as possible. She had been such a fool! _Why _had she not noticed Rika following her?! Of course the brunette would be terribly worried if her guest suddenly disappeared from the house during the night. She'd put the both of them, _and _Terada-sensei in danger, and for her to see _him _again so soon… Emerald eyes squeezed shut. She couldn't take it.

But then again, if she hadn't chased after the lost Rika, Andou might have died. Panting, Sakura leaned against a tree for support and gasped heavily for breath. Now wasn't the time to think about that. She had to go find someone to help quickly, and then return to Terada-sensei's home before anyone took too much notice of her.

Gathering her strength again, Sakura pressed on, ignoring the blood dripping down her leg. Clutching her cloak closer around her, she rushed from the woods towards where she knew some students would definitely be. They could carry the message to the teachers.

"You!" she called at the pair of first ranks setting up camp for the night. "You! Help!"

One of the boys stood quickly, and Sakura was relieved that neither of the two were from her class. Being recognized was out of the question at the moment.

"You! A teacher and a student have been severely injured! Go get help immediately," she said quickly as the two students ran over to her.

"What?" the taller was demanded. When Sakura whirled on him impatiently, he looked nervously over to his partner. "Hey, Tsuryuu! Go call Matsura's squad. I'm going to go get Gaoran-sama."

"Ah! Okay!" his companion said before running off towards the right.

"Are you alright miss?" he asked concernedly. "You're bleeding!" The student bent down to check her cut, but Sakura stepped back quickly.

"There's not a moment to lose," she told him hurriedly, fabricating a lie swiftly in her head. "This blood isn't mine – it's the teacher's! You had best hurry. I'm going to call my friends for help."

He rose and nodded. "Understood. But still, I cannot leave you by yourself. Come with me to where the teachers-"

"Do you not understand?!" she shouted. "A teacher is bleeding to death as we speak!" – a part of her berated herself for the theatrics, but Sakura was becoming desperate; there was no way she could go to where all the teachers were – "I will not get lost, but I cannot run as fast as you can. You need to hurry and let everyone know!"

He hesitated. "But-"

"Go! I order you to go on behalf of the Li Clan!" she said coldly, drawing herself to full height for better effect. On the outside she was tall and full of authority, but inside, Sakura was already berating herself. Certainly, it had been a reflex, and judging from the student's expression, it had had the necessary effect, but still…_Why_ use the Li Clan name? WHY?!

The student's eyes widened and he bowed. "Hai!" Having saluted her, he turned and ran off.

Sakura nearly crumpled to the ground in relief, but she held herself up, forcing her legs to carry her forward. What were the chances that a bear would find both Andou and Rika? Really. She'd gone to stalk Gaoran and see if there was an opening she could take advantage of, and yet Rika had gotten lost trying to look for her. She'd _told_ her to stay behind!

"Ouch," she hissed, tripping over a root.

And then she'd seen Andou cut down by the bear, bleeding profusely. Her eyes squeezed shut. Terada-sensei too. And…

"Syaoran…" Sakura whispered softly, letting the wind carry her words away. She definitely hadn't been prepared for that.

Reaching up, Sakura's hand closed around the part of her chest her heart was pumping furiously under. It hurt so badly to see him again, to hear his voice again, to run away from him again… and she had been terrified that he'd find her out.

Somehow, she was able to drag herself all the way back to Terada-sensei's house before collapsing onto the floor of her room. She would have to apologize to Rika later, Sakura noted as her world began to black, for all the bloodstains that were dirtying the tatami.

----------------

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" Emerald eyes twitched shut tighter before slowly blinking open groggily. "Sakura-chan! Get a hold of yourself!"

"Hm?" The world gradually came into focus, and Sakura became aware that a familiar face surrounded by a halo of long, brown hair was gazing down at her. "Rika-chan? What's going on?"

Her friend sighed in relief. "Oh… good. I bandaged your wounds since they didn't seem too serious, but you weren't waking up so I became so worried."

Worried? "Oh! Sorry!" Sakura sat up and stared down at her bandaged leg. "Thank you, Rika-chan. How is Terada-sen… Terada-san?"

Rika smiled at her brightly. "He is fine, thanks to you. The boys who came to find us were under the impression that he was near death though. I thought they had medical training, and it scared me to death, but Tsukishiro-san put them in their place when he arrived. Yoshiyuki-san said that he wants to come thank you personally later."

The colored drained from Sakura's face. Terada-sensei had seen her holding a sword. Surely he'd be able to put two and two together-

"Oh! Please don't worry. I was sure that no one took much notice of you at all," Rika said reassuringly, misinterpreting her friend's concerns.

"I… see," Sakura grinned weakly. "Where is your husband right now, Rika-chan?"

"He's out patrolling the woods with the other teachers. All of his injuries, Andou-kun's too, have been taken care of, so they've decided to continue. You will eat dinner with us tonight in our home."

"Tonight?" she squeaked.

"You've been asleep for almost a whole day already. Yoshiyuki-san has already been here to check up on you a few times."

Sakura froze, before letting out a reluctant sigh. Well, if he'd already seen her then it couldn't be helped. He either recognized her or he didn't. More importantly, if she'd already slept for an entire day, then she'd wasted too much time already.

Sakura's heart began to beat faster. Killing both Gaoran _and_ Dairan would be almost impossible while they were under the surveillance of the Academy, but during the week of the survival task, all teachers would be patrolling the woods in at most groups of two, if not by themselves. She could always attempt two separate assassinations during the night while they slept safely in the Academy, but the chances of her being caught before completing her mission were phenomenally higher, and Sakura refused to cause Rika any more trouble than she could help.

"Dinner then? That sounds nice, Rika-chan," Sakura chirped in a faux cheerful voice. She pushed herself up. "I need to go somewhere for now though. Don't worry, I'll be back in time for the meal-"

Rika jumped to her feet and pressed Sakura's shoulders firmly until she was once again sitting on the floor. "_You_ are not going _anywhere_ in that condition. Do you honestly think I could let you outside with an injury on your leg?"

"Oh please," Sakura waved her friend off. "This kind of cut is nothing. I've had worse-"

She stopped talking at the paleness of Rika's complexion. Her words had obviously had a negative effect. "You've had _worse_ than a bear attacking you?" The brunette asked, horrified.

"No, I mean that," Sakura corrected quickly, frantically racking her brain for an excuse to appease her worried friend. "It's just that-"

Meanwhile, Rika had been watching the emerald-eyed girl's expression carefully, and she sighed softly at the look of panic on her face. "Never mind, Sakura-chan," she said gently. "I'm sorry for pressing so much, and I'm sorry for following you yesterday. I was only worried, and look how much trouble I've caused you now. It's just, I don't think it's a very good idea for you to be walking around when you're injured. Won't you please stay here, at least for a little while? I'll ask a maid to bring some snacks, and we can spend the time catching up."

Sakura hesitated.

"It would be difficult to move around with that leg of yours anyways, wouldn't it?" Rika insisted.

"Ahh…" She smiled slightly, recognizing a lost cause when she saw one. "Alright, I give up. But on one condition." She winked. "You have to tell me _all_ about how you and Terada-san met. I've been waiting for forever for this story!"

Her friend blushed furiously.

--------------

**Tsuzuku…**

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**Yes… she's back, and I think it's about time I kicked her plans into high gear. I know you've all been waiting for it for a while. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I ended up returning partially to Syaoran's point of view again anyways… but it's okay. I think it turned out pretty interesting. :D**

**And to answer a question I know I'll be asked ahead of time – yes, Syaoran's sword _did_ break. That's what I meant by "half" and "what was left of it". **

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Okaa-sama – honored mother

Onii-chan – big brother

Otou-sama – honored father

gomen – sorry

arigatou – thank you

douitashimashite – you're welcome

kaijuu – monster

hai – yes


	27. Ghost

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP. **

**Thank you, thank you, **_**thank you**_** all for all the wonderful reviews. I know the last chapter was short, but I hope to make it up to you this chapter! **

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**So here are my rambles for the week. I'm officially now going to Taiwan this summer to be a teacher! Some of my friends and I are going on this mission trip and are traveling to the other side of the planet to teach two classes of elementary school children English during their "summer camp". Haha. I'm so excited!! My second training session (the first was _six hours _long) is tomorrow, and I can't wait. It's worth it. **

**I'm not so confident about the actually teaching though. Send your prayers and wish me good luck, because I'm sure to need it. **

--

**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Twenty Seven**

--

Syaoran frowned while staring absentmindedly at the scenery around the cave. His hand closed around the hilt of his sword at his side – _half_ of his sword. A low growl crept from his lips. The loss of his valuable weapon was sorely felt. Syaoran had ordered his blade's upper half to be extracted from the bear's carcass to see if it could be re-forged, but the blade itself had been broken up into several shards. It was unlikely that anything larger than a hand knife could be resurrected from the fragments.

Quietly, Syaoran drew the sword out and stared at its jagged edge. He gave it a slight swing, but immediately sighed and sheathed it. Its lack of balance merely served to emphasize the loss.

"Why, if it isn't Syaoran! What are you doing there looking lonely? Do you want me to keep you company?"

Syaoran's head snapped up at the arrival of a grinning guest. "What are you doing here Eriol?" he asked coldly, leaning against the stone wall of the cave. "Where's Yamazaki? Weren't you two partners?"

"I saw you sitting here all by yourself, so I sent him off to go catch lunch. Do you want to eat with us? He won't mind," his friend offered cheerfully, taking a seat next to him. "I caught Yue prowling around a while ago. Andou's going to be fine, but he won't be able to rejoin the competition. Terada-sensei and his wife are fine too."

Impulsively, Syaoran's mind flickered to the cloaked figure who had been with the riding instructor's wife, but he refrained from commenting. "I can feed myself," Syaoran responded shortly.

Sapphire eyes regarded him contemplatively, and this time the Hiiragizawa addressed him in a more gentle tone. "You really do look lonely you know, and as much as it pains me to say it, I doubt the source of your affliction is Andou's absence. What happened?"

"I lost the priceless sword, forged for_ me_ the day I was born to a rampaging _bear_," Syaoran's answer was dry. "I'm bound to be upset."

"Are you certain that's the only reason?"

Next to him, the youngest Li stirred slightly, not liking Eriol's silent allusion to Sakura. Again an image of the cloaked figure appeared in his head. "Nothing in particular comes to mind," he lied flatly. "And maybe I _do _feel a bit guilty about letting Andou get injured."

It was a sign of how much he wanted to avoid the topic of his ex-partner that Syaoran was willing to admit anything about feeling guilt.

"We both know that's not what I mean," Eriol continued seriously, ignoring his friend's last excuse. "How are you holding up? Without her, that is."

Syaoran glared across the expanse of the cave to the other wall angrily. He'd avoided being alone with Eriol for extensive periods of time because he knew that sooner or later the subject of Sakura was bound to come up again.

So he missed her, and he was willing to admit it, to himself at least. But that didn't mean that he was ready to embrace the baggage that came with missing her. It was easier to simply blot _her_ out of his life entirely. If he didn't think about _her_ – if he forced her from his mind, then his suffering would be much more bearable. He'd be able to keep the pain and the confusion to short, quick bursts instead of prolonged anguish. If he was able to keep that up, continually pretending she didn't exist, then it was only a matter of time until her existence became a thing of the past, and the influence she had over him would simply disappear.

After all, he had to accept that she wasn't returning, and Syaoran sure as hell wasn't venturing South just kidnap her from her home. And even if she _did_ want to stay in the North, it wouldn't be for him, but for her need for vengeance. If she had been willing to go so far as to deceive the Northern Military Academy as well as himself just to draw nearer to one of his brothers, then it was unlikely she'd ever be able to give up on her "mission", given the chance.

No, it was just better this way. And for the time being, he could excuse his heaviness of heart as the result of losing his sword.

"Syaoran."

"What?" he growled, irritated.

Eriol repeated patiently, "I asked how you're holding up."

"It is none of your concern," Syaoran shrugged, indifferently. "But I am fine. She really means nothing to me now. I'm not the type of man to pine over those who betray me. You know that."

The blue-haired first rank stared. "You must be joking."

"Hn."

"You _coward_," Eriol hissed under his breath.

Syaoran looked at him in surprise. Was Eriol actually mad? "What did you say?" 

"I never pinned you for such a coward, Syaoran," Eriol said a bit coldly. "I know that your situation with Sakura-san" – Syaoran froze momentarily at the name, and then became furious with himself for reacting that way –"is difficult, but I never thought you would run away."

_Running away? _

"I am not running away from anything," Syaoran answered brusquely, insulted. "The one who ran away, if you recall, was not me."

Eriol snorted. "You aren't actually going to tell me that she meant nothing to you, are you Syaoran? We both know better than that."

"She was someone to me once. Do you honestly expect me to halt my life for someone who could so easily deceive and betray me? Whether the North or South are at war or not, she came up here for the sole purpose of murdering a member of my family," he hissed, feeling more and more at ease with every harsh word he spoke. His reasoning was helping to convince him a lot more than it was convincing Eriol. "I'm better off without someone like her by my side. She's lucky I even let her out of the Academy alive."

Hiiragizawa caught Syaoran's small slip immediately. "So you _did_ see her the night she left. It wasn't just in a letter she'd left behind."

For a good few, terrible seconds, Syaoran was at a loss for words. He had been trying very hard to completely erase the scene of her departure from his mind. Now, however, at Eriol's prompting, memories of his promises and her pleas sent an agonizing shock through him.

Sapphire eyes glared at him angrily. "Are you just going to keep denying her? You asked her to _marry you _Syaoran! For you to do that much, I know you were serious. Are you honestly willing to just let her go?"

"I don't want to talk about this now," Syaoran interrupted coldly, automatically switching gears and shutting that particular train of thought down. "What progress have you made regarding my two brothers? Any new information?"

The young spymaster of Northern Japan scowled. "Fine. Have it your way. I'm tired of babying you in any case. You can suffer the consequences of your blockheadedness on your own time," He sighed and leaned with a frown against the wall. "I have men trailing all letters Dairan sends out of the Academy, and so far we seem to have located a strange connection he's making with a small village on the outskirts of Kyoto. Men have been sent there to investigate as much as they can without alerting anyone. There isn't much I can do about having people tail them during the day while they're in the Academy, though. It's too noticeable. The best I've been able to do is have a handful of servants observe their general movements when they're not in class. What I am more preoccupied with, is the idea of breaking into their rooms, but it's a tricky endeavor."

"Don't you have any agents who specialize in invasion of privacy? Surely they could break in and out without anyone noticing," Syaoran asked sarcastically.

Eriol glared at him. "Keep your proud tongue to yourself Syaoran, or I might not longer think it necessary to keep you updated. Unless your opposed to the idea of my investigation? They are, after all, members of your family."

"It's not the actions that you're taking against Gaoran and Dairan that are irritating me Eriol."

"I've already let the topic you wanted to avoid go haven't I?"

"Continue," Syaoran said grudgingly, before adding. "Please."

"I might have someone conduct a light search before this week is out. I'll have them take extra care, since all of you Li's have frighteningly exact memories," Eriol responded dryly. "That's about it for now though."

Syaoran looked over at his friend quietly for a few seconds. He hesitated before saying, "Kinomoto Touya… might attempt to infiltrate the Academy soon, to get to the two of them."

"Sakura-san's brother? Touya-san is a Southerner working in cooperation with us," the spymaster continued smoothly. "He was the first to suspect that a third party would be moving between the North and South in the first place. I didn't pay much heed to it at first, but because I respect both him and his family, I allowed him limited movement in the North to investigate his theory. Needless to say, the rest we are now quite aware of."

The amber-eyed first rank stiffened noticeably at this new piece of information. It just made his anti-Kinomoto family stance more difficult to uphold. Both his mother _and_ Eriol were fans of hers? Lovely.

"You will tell me if Gaoran and Dairan are guilty of this… treason won't you Eriol?"

"Yes, yes of course-"

"Hey! Hiiragizawa! Li!"

It was Yamazaki. The spiky-haired boy ran up to the two of them, carrying two rabbits, skewered through by his arrows. "There you are," he said to his partner, frowning. "It took me a while to find you. If you're going to go somewhere, at least let me know ahead of time will you?"

"You were able to catch rabbits?" Syaoran asked, slightly impressed. "Weren't they still hibernating?"

Eriol grinned, moving some branches Syaoran had collected earlier to start a fire. "You forget, young cousin, that it's almost Spring. There's bound to be some wildlife waking up right around now. Or how did you suppose a bear could attack Andou and Terada-sensei?"

"That was rather nasty wasn't it?" Yamazaki said a bit darkly. "I heard that his wife wandered into the woods too. Is she…?" Yamazaki asked.

"She's fine. Brave and mature, Terada-sensei's wife. Who wants to skin these?" Eriol pointed at the rabbits.

"I hear…" the second rank started cautiously as he pulled out his knife. "That she's from the South…"

Syaoran scowled at the splay of blood. "Indeed. Mind doing that where there's water to wash it out? I plan on _eating _here."

Yamazaki stared at the dripping fur sheepishly. "Oops. I'll be right back." Picking up the two mounds of meat, he once again left the cave.

"I have your okay for breaking into their rooms then?" Eriol asked finally after a long pause.

"I hadn't realized you were asking for my permission."

"I wasn't really, but I must admit I'm curious as to what is running through your head right now."

Syaoran scowled at nothing in particular. "Not much."

Eriol nodded. "I thought so."

He shut his eyes. Maybe Eriol _was_ right… perhaps he was just avoiding dealing with whatever it was he was supposed to be feeling. But it was so much easier to simply block all the emotions out, and to try to forget completely about Sakura and everything she had meant to him.

"It's futile you know," his friend added, as if reading Syaoran's mind. "You've changed too much. The mark she left on your world is too drastic to simply ignore, so you're going to have to get to it sooner or later."

Syaoran scowled, irritated by how well Eriol knew him.

Time passed slowly, even as he half-listened to his two companions chat away and amused himself by staring into the fire, watching the tendrils of red fire wisp up and turn to smoke.

"Syaoran," Eriol said once night had fallen. "Could you go get us some water for the night?" Apparently, they'd decided that they would be keeping him company for a while longer. Strangely enough, the young Li heir found that he didn't mind. Their presence served to distract him from gloomier thoughts.

Standing, Syaoran stretched his limbs for a few seconds, loosening his stiff muscles. "Get a fire started while I'm gone Eriol, it'll ward off the animals."

"Of course. Have fun."

Have fun? Syaoran resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and instead took off at a light jog in the direction of the waterfall where he'd encountered both the bear and the mysterious, cloaked female the night before. It was a bit further away than the lake, but he'd been still for hours in the cave, and his legs were in need of exercise.

In any case, Syaoran thought it would be worth his time to go and take a second look. The remains of the bear he'd fought had already been disposed of and buried, but his curiosity still wasn't satisfied. Why had he been so sure that the woman with Terada-sensei's wife was a female? The way she had handled her sword seemed familiar as well. Anyhow, there was simply something slightly off about her.

--

Sakura winced as she accidentally put too much weight on her bad leg. Her chest was heaving slightly and sweat matted some of her auburn tresses to the sides of her neck and face as she gazed around the clearing. Yes, this would be a very good place to stop.

She hadn't even bothered trying to tail Gaoran so soon after an injury, but apparently moving long distances, however slowly, was a bit too much for her leg to handle as well. Sakura dragged herself over to the water's edge and sank to the ground in relief. What an idiot! Wanting to become more familiar with the forest was no reason to exhaust herself this badly. Rika had been right. She should have just stayed home. Now, at least, Sakura could tell that trying to take on even just Dairan would be futile in her condition.

Pulling a handkerchief, Sakura dipped it into the cool, clear water with a bitter sigh. This completely ruined her plans. She'd have to start from scratch yet again.

Wringing the fabric out and dabbing at her sweaty face carefully, Sakura was careful not to smudge her makeup. It was all very well and fine that Rika had lent her a kimono so that she could disguise as a student of the Daidouji Institute, but if her face was covered in sweat, then there was no point. Of course, she was still wearing her cloak, but it would be best if she returned to Terada-sensei's home as soon as she was rested up.

Sakura smiled slightly. Even with her wound, she'd been able to slip out of their house without anyone noticing after dinner. Her stealth, at least, hadn't been much hampered. She simply tired more quickly. It was a good thing too, or else Rika would probably have thrown a fit.

Her emerald eyes followed the path of water back up the waterfall demurely. It was really such a small waterfall, with only thin sheets of liquid pouring down the short cliff. She smiled and closed her eyes for a few seconds, laying back onto the soft grass. It was so peaceful here and the sound of water lapping against the rocky edges was soothing. Otherwise it was still, except for the occasional sound of birds…

Crack.

Sakura sat up quickly at the sound of a twig snapping, the hood of her cloak falling from her head to her shoulders, but she wasn't really bothered. It was almost Spring, so there was bound to be some wildlife awake and roaming around. If she didn't bother it, it would likely be just as happy to leave her alone. But at the sound of what was undeniably swiftly moving footsteps, Sakura was immediately to her feet and searching for an exit. By the sound of the speed of the sandals against dirt and grass, she wouldn't be able to make it all the way to the trees in time… what was she going to do?

For all that she was in "disguise", it would be better if no one saw her. Not even Daidouji students had an excuse to be roaming around the woods after hours.

The sound of falling water filled her ears again, and Sakura's head snapped towards the cliff in sudden realization. Of she could just make it to there then-

-

Syaoran froze when he reached where the trees ended and the large expanse of grass began, not quite believing his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he blinked once, slowly. She was gone.

His heart hammered against his chest. He'd been so sure… for a moment he thought that – had he just been hallucinating? A female with auburn hair and emerald eyes, wrapped in a dark cloak had been standing by the water's edge. She-

He reached out and steadied himself against a tree, his fingers digging into its wooden bark forcefully. Was his mind simply playing cruel tricks on him? Someone who had looked very much – too much like Sakura had been standing not twenty five feet away from him just a few seconds ago. Surely he didn't miss her that much. Not to the point of delusion, at least.

Syaoran frowned. He didn't do daydreaming and imagination. So why would that side of his brain suddenly decide to kick into high gear now? It was highly improbable that he was lonely to the point of seeing illusions. He might be feeling a bit desperate, but he wasn't going insane. Someone had been there.

Moving away from the trees, he walked swiftly over to the exact spot he had seen the cloaked girl standing.

Syaoran's eyes narrowed. Reaching down, he picked up from the grass a slightly damp handkerchief. It was a pale pink, and there were traces of smudged makeup on it. He hadn't been hallucinating at all. A girl had been standing here. Syaoran surveyed the ground near the fallen square of colored silk. Even the grass was slightly mussed, proof that someone had been sitting there just moments ago.

Syaoran found that he was shaking, just a little. She was near. A female with auburn hair and emerald eyes. His heart jumped slightly at the sudden realization. Sakura… was possibly nearby. The first image that popped into his mind was one of her tear-stained faced as she begged for him to believe her. He felt himself seized with a sudden urgency. Sakura was near.

He looked around the clearing, almost frantically. Where was she?

The intelligent first rank doubted that she had made it into the trees. No female, Sakura or not, could move so quickly within the time expanse of one blink. Syaoran felt his anxiety rise. There was nowhere she could go! His mouth opened slightly, and he almost, almost called out her name – Sakura – but swallowed his words at the last second, catching sight of something dark fluttering at the top of the cliff. It was the edge of a cloak.

Syaoran moved quickly, racing around the backside of the cliff and climbing to the top within minutes. When he finally reached the edge, however, what met him there made him ball his hands in tight, angry fists. There was only the cloak, laying on top of the grass, but no person – she wasn't there. Sakura wasn't there.

At a sudden noise of running feet, Syaoran's head turned quickly, and he saw just in time as the hem of a kimono disappeared behind the foliage. By the time he realized what he was doing, Syaoran was already back down by the waterfall's edge, standing there, out of breath. His legs had brought him there of their own accord, but now he could see that trying to go after her would be futile. Anyone who could move that quickly would be too far away to catch given so much of a head start.

His hand closed tightly around handkerchief and cloak in his hands.

"Damn," he cursed under his breath. "Damn it."

It was as if one of the walls hiding his emotions suddenly collapsed, and a fresh whip of pain and regret lashed out and struck him across the face. She'd been so close. He'd seen her… if he could only have moved closer maybe –

But that might not even have been Sakura, the cooler, more rational side of him reasoned. He had no proof that anyone, let alone Sakura had been there at all except for a thin square of pink cloth and a cloak, and those things could have been left behind last night. Wasn't he supposed to be forgetting her anyways?

Syaoran's eyes squeezed shut painfully, and it took every muscle in his body to keep him from yelling out of frustration. But there had been an imprint in the grass, and –

Who was he kidding? Wasn't what he was feeling enough proof? He missed her – missed her like a starving man in the desert missed water – missed her with every fiber of his entire being- missed her!

To his horror, Syaoran felt tears prick at the sides of his eyes. He wiped them away furiously, outraged that they would appear at all. He hadn't cried even as a child! But **damn it all** he missed her so much. He wanted to see her and just forget that anything had ever happened, to touch her, to kiss her, to hug her and tell her that –

"Syaoran!"

He turned slowly at the sound of Eriol calling his name. The expression on his face was unreadable and firmly glued into place, but the blue-haired first rank knew immediately that something was terribly wrong.

"Syaoran!" he rushed over to his side. "What happened? I came looking for you when you took too long and…" Eriol paused, watching Syaoran's tight face carefully. "What happened?"

The proud Li heir struggled against himself feverishly, refusing to break down in front of his friend. "Eriol," he murmured with great effort. "Go back to Yamazaki."

"Syaoran?" Eriol repeated with concern. His eyes fell immediately upon the pink handkerchief in Syaoran's right hand and the dark cloak in his left. Sapphire orbs widened.

"Go back to Yamazaki," Syaoran said again, turning and walking away. "Don't follow me."

The spymaster of the Northern army watched him leave, and sighed with resignation when Syaoran had finally disappeared from sight. Eriol wanted to force from him what had happened, but it was probably best to grant Syaoran space and time to sort out his thoughts first.

--

Sakura panted as quietly as she could, as she lay flat on the dirt ground, unable to muster up enough strength to move. Her entire body trembled with the aftershocks of her initial terror. Her injury had flared up with a vengeance almost as soon as she made it into the woods, and she'd collapsed to the ground, just waiting for Syaoran to catch up. Sakura had waited for ten long minutes is perpetual fear, scared to death of what would happen when he caught her. For Syaoran to just kill her on sight would be merciful, but she seriously doubted that she would be so lucky. Getting dragged into the Academy and put into prison was out of the question because Touya would definitely try to spring her, and probably get caught in the process. But more than anything else, Sakura didn't think she could bear facing him again and reliving the terrible heartbreak all over again.

But as the minutes passed, she began to realize that no one was coming. Maybe he hadn't seen her run in this direction at all? Her diversion had been a pretty clever tactic…

If so, wasn't she supposed to be glad? Groaning, Sakura buried her face into the grass and dirt below her, not caring about her appearance anymore. It was so ironic. She couldn't bear to face him, and yet she still wanted to see and to be near him again. She was so full of contradictions! What was she doing? Hadn't she promised never to appear in front of him again?

When Syaoran had run into the clearing, Sakura had hardly been able to believe her eyes. What were the chances that Syaoran would find her… again? As if seeing him once wasn't hard enough.

Slowly, Sakura picked herself up and shifted so that she was leaning with her back against a tree.

She'd hidden in a niche behind the waterfall, one large enough to keep her from view. But then she'd realized that she'd left her handkerchief on the grass by accident, and if Syaoran started searching for her there was nowhere for her to run. By some unbelievable stroke of luck, she'd realized that the inside of the waterfall was easily maneuverable and possible to scale without too much difficultly, so she'd gotten the idea to climb up and place her cloak at the top and climb back down. All of it had been done in hopes that Syaoran would see it and run to the top so that she could make her escape.

And it'd worked, eerily well - almost too extraordinarily well.

Sakura curled up into a ball and hugged herself tightly. It hurt. It hurt so damn much. She still loved him so much she could just die. Ever since she'd left the Academy, Sakura had functioned by refusing to dwell on Syaoran and focusing on revenge… but how was she supposed to manage that when he was a mere ten feet away from her?

--

By the end of the week, Syaoran's eyes were bloodshot. Not from anything so undignified as crying (he'd put an end to that the moment Eriol had arrived), but from an increasingly serious case of chronic insomnia. He couldn't sleep at night.

Usually lack of sleep was of little concern to him, and being more alert while living in a forest really wasn't such a bad idea, but coupled with his growing confusion, Syaoran felt ready to snap. The auburn-haired, emerald-eyed girl was like a ghost, appearing and disappearing around him everywhere almost everyday. He would see a flash of familiar green out of the corner of his eye, and his head was snap towards it, but by then she would be gone, if she was ever really there at all.

Did he simply miss her too much? It was like he was under a curse – doing everything within his power to try and push her from his mind, and yet seeing her everywhere! What little snippets of sleep he could scrape by Syaoran kept short and shallow. To be perfectly fair, it wasn't that sleep wouldn't come, it was that he avoided it – avoided it as if it was hell itself. Like a slice of bittersweet heaven, every time he shut his eyes, he saw Sakura's smile, Sakura's laughter, Sakura staring in wonder and amazed faith in him as he handed her their engagement ring. Then the dream would change, the silent swirls of his inner mind would shift, and all he could hear were her sobs and futile pleas.

It was the worst sort of nightmare, and Syaoran would rather go without sleep than face another evening of watching her heart break again. But even still, he was nearing his breaking point, and had no idea what to do about it.

"Syaoran!" It was Eriol.

Turning, slightly red amber eyes watched his friend run to catch up with him.

"Seems you were able to stay in one piece," he said, wry smile on his face as he observed the young Li heir's disheveled countenance. "How are you holding up? You look life you haven't got a single night of sleep since..."

"You are wrong," Syaoran said stoically, turning to nod at Yue who was inspecting everyone. "I did sleep one night."

Eriol grimaced. "Just one then? Sounds tough."

Syaoran resisted the urge to tell Eriol to scram, reminding himself that his sapphire-eyed companion was merely concerned, and had even complied with his wishes to be left alone. At the very least, he deserved some civility.

"Aa," he acknowledged shortly.

"I'm sorry to spring this on you Syaoran," Eriol said, suddenly serious. His voice dropped lower and he spoke softly so that no one else could hear. "I sent men to Gaoran and Dairan's rooms exactly two days ago, but when my men returned they had some interesting news to tell me."

Syaoran was surprised. "You're able to contact your men in the middle of a task? How? Yamazaki isn't blind."

The Northern spymaster's expression remained grim. "I had a special team break into your brothers' rooms, so they're more than capable of sneaking around in a forest. But more importantly-"

"They found incriminating evidence?" Syaoran asked, his mouth tight.

"No," Eriol said. "But I hadn't really expected to find much in their rooms. Anything worth finding would be better hidden than that. If you'll stop interrupting, I wanted to discuss something they reported back to me."

Syaoran leaned in, relieved that no deadly bombs had been discovered in his brothers' rooms. Whether he disliked Gaoran and Dairan or not, Syaoran preferred that two members of the main Li family not be responsible for the entire civil war.

"Someone else was already there when they went to investigate."

He froze. Keeping his expression carefully stoic, Syaoran asked, "Who was it?"

"They don't know-"

"What do you mean they don't know?" Syaoran hissed furiously. If someone other than Eriol had dared to break into the rooms of two high-ranking nobles, then it was likely that the girl he'd seen by the waterfall was-

"Calm down," Eriol said appeasingly. "I know you think it might be Sakura-san, but listen to what I have to say first. My men were to break in through the roof, but when they arrived there, someone ran past them and jumped off the roof and escaped."

"Why didn't they pursue?" Syaoran demanded.

Sapphire eyes twitched irritably. "Are you going to let me finish?"

He fell silent.

"Alright then," Eriol continued, frowning. "I ordered them to avoid all conflict if possible, and when they first saw the woman, they thought maybe she was a servant of Gaoran's, sent there to keep intruders away, but since she ran away and no alarm has been raised in the Academy, I think it's safe to assume that she was acting on her own or from a third party."

Syaoran opened his mouth to say something, but bit it shut after a few moments of struggle, decided to let Eriol continue. The young spymaster, however, smiled slightly and said, "What do you want to ask?"

"You say 'she', why? And couldn't they even see 'her' face? Weren't there any traces she left behind? Or what-"

"For your first and second questions," Eriol interrupted. "I only had two men break into Gaoran's rooms, which was where they encountered the intruder. They both reached the top of the roof at the same time, and at the exact instant they'd climbed past the pillars, they both reported that a person dressed in dark-colored clothing rushed past them and jumped from the building..." He hesitated.

"And?" Syaoran prompted furiously.

"They said that the person was likely a female, because there was the scent of perfume on her," he said.

"What… scent?" Syaoran questioned.

A slightly nervous expression passed Eriol's face before he shrugged. "Well, if you insist on knowing." He smiled wryly. "Cherry blossoms, Syaoran. It was the scent of cherry blossoms, and whoever she was, she was extremely skilled, because my men, trained specially in stealth and detection, could find no trace that anyone else had been in the building before them… Syaoran!"

He grabbed the Li heir's arm to keep him from storming away. "Where do you think you're going? You still have to register with the teachers – Syaoran!" 

"What do you propose I do?" he growled, whirling on Eriol. "Play student while she's-"

"And what do you propose you do? Do you honestly think she would so easily let you find her? If she was really here?"

Syaoran struggled against his friend's reasoning futilely. At length, he sighed and his fists fell to his sides. "I just don't understand Eriol," he said resignedly at last. "What am I supposed to do? I can't just… forget all the lies that she's told me. I can't get rid of this wretched feeling of betrayal, but… if I'm not supposed to try to just forget her, what am I supposed to do?"

"That," the sapphire-eyed first rank said firmly. "Is something you have to find for yourself. What do you want to do?"

"Thank you for your wonderful insight," Syaoran said sarcastically, but turned away in frustration when he saw the solemn look on Eriol's face.

"I don't know what I want to do, damn it."

--

**Tsuzuku…**

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**I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. The repetition of what Sakura and Syaoran are feeling might be becoming a bit redundant, but I promise some new development in the next chapter. Look forward to it! :D**

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aa – yes

kami- God


	28. What He Wants

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP. **

**I must admit, these past few chapters have been surprisingly difficult to write. I knew that I wanted Sakura to "disappear" from Syaoran's view for a while and I knew what I wanted their reunion to be like, but it's harder than I thought to get from point A to point B! I can only hope that I've been doing a satisfactory job keeping things interesting and giving you readers an inside view onto the perspectives of our hero and heroine. It was a good thing that I finished off my exams before tackling these chapters. This is hard stuff to write. **

**However, the time has finally come for individual moping to cease! Read and find out what I've got in store. :D**

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Twenty Eight**

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Sakura pulled off the dark cloth covering her face and collapsed onto the tatami floor of her room, pulse racing.

"That…" she breathed. "Was _way_ too close."

Emerald eyes fluttered shut as she pressed a hand to her pounding heart. For a few minutes, Sakura had seriously believed her game was up. Rolling onto her stomach, she smoothed out the piece of paper she'd hurriedly scrawled some notes onto.

Breaking in and finding _this_ had been wonderfully, amazingly easy though. Bu still, she should have known that the rest mission couldn't possibly go so smoothly. It had been with wide eyes and forced calmness that Sakura had watched the other group of intruders come in quietly. Just recalling it made her heart pound. To think, she had almost forgone checking before jumping. If she had been late even one second in taking notice of their presence, there was no way she could have made it out without being caught. Just keeping her head cool enough to plan her split-second escape was all that she could handle.

But that didn't mean the men hadn't seen her. It would have taken a blind man not to notice the quite obviously suspicious person jumping off of an Academy official's roof, so why hadn't they made an attempt to catch her? Did that mean they weren't under Gaoran's orders but someone else's?

Sakura shook herself slightly. That wasn't her concern. Politics and worrying about the country would have to come later. Her first priority was getting revenge. She had to keep her focus.

Unfolding the crumpled piece of paper, Sakura read it over slowly once again. She'd hardly been able to believe her luck when she'd broken into Gaoran's rooms. Obviously this was a new piece of information that had just reached him, or else he wouldn't have left it on his desk, unguarded. It was a perfectly wonderful coincidence that the judges had all been called into an emergency meeting for the day, and better yet, Sakura knew immediately what her discovery meant.

"… hidden in the Sakura lake… underneath stone and gravel… Clow's most beloved treasures," Sakura whispered, hardly able to conceal her glee. She'd copied the parchment that had been on Gaoran's desk exactly, and by the looks of how sloppily it had been shoved under a pile of books, the bastard probably hadn't had the time to hide it properly. Well, if _he _thought the clues were worth taking a second look at, then that was all that mattered to Sakura. She had the perfect way to lure him out now.

"… Clow's most beloved treasures…" she mused aloud.

If the 'treasures' was plural, then it was likely the riddle indicated the swords the Li brothers had been searching for, for so long. Sakura grinned. There could only be one Sakura Lake in the Academy, and if what _he _had told her was correct, then only three people were aware of its existence. According to Rika, there was going to be an announcement after dinner about the rapidly approaching hanamasturi. Perfect. She would be able to search for the swords without having to worry about anyone disturbing her.

--

After losing the cloak Rika had lent her, Sakura was forced to make due with a dark, veil-like scarf that could cover only her hair and the lower half of her face. Still, it was better than nothing, and worked rather well, considering a dark kimono would blend into the night just as well as a cloak would.

Before entering the forest, Sakura paused to light her lamp, since she was far enough that no one would notice her, and then went in.

"Right… right… left… second right… circle back here," she whispered aloud to herself as she walked swiftly through the maze Syaoran had led her through so many times before.

Her emerald eyes dimmed slightly at the thought. Returning to the Academy wasn't helping the growing hurt in her chest. Almost three times she'd nearly bumped into Syaoran at night while she was wandering around, only to find a hiding spot just in time. And strangely enough, she never bumped into anyone else either, only him. Ruefully, Sakura wondered if she was simply masochistic. She knew well enough the kinds of place he _might _turn up at, so perhaps she was unconsciously trying to draw near to him. Of course, just _thinking _about him could cause her a world of pain, so needless to say _seeing _him was much more bitter than sweet.

Not that she didn't deserve every ounce of the pain she was feeling, Sakura reminded herself. After all, _she_ was the one who wanted his brothers dead.

The familiar sight of a serene lake and cherry blossom tree greeted Sakura when she finally emerged from the mass of wooden blockades, but it only served to make her feel more uncomfortable.

This used to be the place she took refuge in when she needed comfort. It was so ironic that now she felt like an intruder. Expression a bit downcast, Sakura went to the third tree on her left and pressed the hump in the middle of its bark.

The steps sprang up from the water like always, and within seconds, she was walking across the wet path and standing on white sand. With a small smile, Sakura noted that the formerly barren cherry tree was already beginning to bud. Spring would be here soon.

Okay, so now she was here. Where were those swords hiding?

"Underneath stone and gravel…"

Walking up to the large boulder next to the tree, Sakura placed her lamp on the ground, bent over, and tried pushing it to the side. No luck. She frowned. Well of course it couldn't be so simple… but then how was she supposed to get _underneath_ the rock?! …supposing that this _was_ the "stone and gravel" the riddle had indicated.

Bending over once again, Sakura went in a full circle around the boulder, checking to see if there were any cracks or bumps she could press or _anything_, but it seemed completely solid and unwilling to budge, no matter how much she poked or prodded or pushed. Surely there was a way to move the giant stone without lifting it straight off the ground. Sakura doubted even five men together could manage such a feat.

At length, Sakura plopped down onto the boulder with a sigh. Maybe she was going about this in the wrong way. There was probably another tree with a bump somewhere that she was supposed to press to get the stone to move to the side.

This… was impossible. It was dark, she could barely see, and the wind was beginning to pick up. Sakura gave an involuntary shiver.

"I'm so tired," she whimpered suddenly.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Sakura sat up, in surprise, at her own pathetic words. What was she doing? Wasn't she supposed to be concentrating on getting revenge for her parents?

"Revenge. Focus," she repeated to herself firmly. It wasn't difficult to regain her focus. Just the mental image of her parents lying facedown in their own blood was enough to steel her resolve.

Hopping off the rock and picking up her lantern, Sakura checked around the boulder once again, determined not to miss anything. Satisfied that there was no magical opening anywhere, she moved to the other object on the island, the Sakura tree.

Sakura sighed. The tree too, unfortunately, seemed for the most part ordinary, without any secret hump to press or mysterious twig to pull.

_… hidden in the Sakura lake… underneath stone and gravel… Clow's most beloved treasures…_

But that note _had_ to have meant here. There were no other lakes in the forest, as far as Sakura was aware of, and _underneath stone and gravel…_ surely that meant the boulder. Or was she supposed to have brought a shovel to dig up sand? Her eyes strayed over to the Clow insignia carved onto the rock. Reaching over, she felt the impressions in the stone carefully. No, this _had_ to be it. She was so sure. But then what was she supposed to do?!

Another sigh escaped her lips. She really _did_ feel so tired… physically, mentally, emotionally… just _drained_, but that was all the more reason for her to finish this quickly, and get the hell out of the North. By killing Gaoran and Dairan, she would be finally avenging the deaths of her parents _and_ helping Touya out in _his_ mission. She wasn't about to fail her family.

Sakura groaned. She'd come so far! There was no way a stupid _rock_ was going to keep her from completing her mission.

As if almost to spite her, a strong gust of wind began to pick up at that very moment, and it blew the candle in her lamp out, leaving Sakura in darkness.

"Darn it," she mumbled, pulling out her flint stones from the folds of her kimono. This was beyond frustrating.

Before she was able to strike up her match, however, a second gust of wind blew her black scarf loose, and Sakura looked up in surprise, reaching out to snatch it from the air before it flew away. The instant her fingers closed around the smooth fabric, however, her eyes noticed something shimmering on the lake.

Quickly wrapping her scarf securely around her head once again, Sakura straightened and walked over to the water's edge.

Now that the light from her lantern had been extinguished, the reflection of the moonlight on the water became more pronounced than ever. Oddly enough – was she seeing things? – it seemed to be lighting up something pink _underneath_ the water, on the floor of the lake. Sakura strained to see what could possibly be the source of the glow, but even when squinting she wasn't able to quite make it out.

She turned and looked at the boulder before hesitantly returning her gaze to the lake. Was it worth checking out?

Sakura began pulling off her scarf and outer layer of kimono, folding them by the side. She also removed her sandals and socks, and even tied the inner layer of her kimono in a knot above her knees, but she knew that it would still be getting wet.

The shiny object just, _had _to be in the middle of the lake, _away _from the path, didn't it?

Taking a deep breath, Sakura took a few steps forward and shut her eyes tightly as her right foot plunged into the cold lake. She jumped back instinctively, repulsed by how _cold _the water was. Emerald eyes gazed helplessly at the body of water before her. The pink glow refused to disappear.

"I _hate_ Clow and his stupid mysteries," she grumbled before forcing herself to take several large steps forward, submerging herself from the waist down into freezing water. "C-Cold!" she squealed, teeth chattering. Forcing herself to think about anything _but_ how numb her toes felt, Sakura kept moving forward. Within seconds she'd made her way over to where she'd seen the moon catch the pink light.

Teeth still lacking together uncontrollably, Sakura's eyes began searching the watery depths for whatever it was she was supposed to be looking for. There it was, Sakura realized as she stared at a pink, metal-like object sitting imbedded onto a raised pedestal of white… was that marble? – in the ground. Grimacing, she rolled up her right sleeve and plunged her arm into the water.

Sakura stared at the object she had retrieved from the lakebed in wonder. At first glance, it was a pink, metal cherry blossom, about the size of her palm, with sharp edges and intricate designs all over it, but then she noticed that on the back there was a series of bumps of raised metal, arranged in a shape that seemed familiar…

"No…" she exhaled in disbelief. There was no way…

Turning, Sakura made her way quickly over to the island again, shivering as the icy evening wind hit her soaking wet torso, chilling her to the bone. She didn't bother to put her outer layers back on, but went straight to the boulder and knelt on top of it so that she could see the incisions and markings on its hard surface clearly. Taking the metal cherry blossom she had found in the water, Sakura pressed it to the Clow insignia on the rock carefully, so that all the bumps on the back of the metal matched up with the impressions in the stone. It fit perfectly.

Sakura looked around, waiting for something amazing to happen. Nothing did.

She frowned, taking her hand off cherry blossom. It stayed there, fitting to the insignia like a key… but why wasn't anything happening? Sakura sighed before going to her pile of clothing and drawing her flints from them. Swiftly lighting her lantern once again, Sakura went back over to the rock to stare at it some more.

Her fingers played lightly over the cherry blossom design on the up-side of the metal. If it was a _key _then maybe… Hesitantly, she took it by its sharp edges and turned it to the right slightly. Sakura sprang back as the earth beneath her gave a low groan and began to rumble.

Astonished, she backed up all the way to the Sakura tree, holding onto it as she watched the stone _move_ to the left… all on its own. Within roughly a half a minute, the rumbling ceased and Sakura had calmed down. Cautiously, she stepped over to the large chasm the boulder had shifted to reveal, and stared at the long set of stairs leading down into a thick darkness she couldn't see through.

Another icy breeze shook through Sakura, and she trembled violently. She looked wistfully at the kimono she'd left folded on the ground… but it would have little meaning to simply put on another layer. As wet as she was, the outer kimono would simply soak through too. But she would need her shoes.

Swiftly slipping on her sandals without socks, Sakura swallowed her nervousness and began walking down the stairs, holding her light securely in front of her.

The darkness receded slowly in front of her as she moved forward, but Sakura still felt a bit scared. It was still dark, it was still hard to see, and she had no idea what could be _hiding_ in this huge, underground cave. She wished fiercely for Syaoran to be there, reassuring her and teasing her fears away, but Sakura knew that even if he _were_ there, his words would be far from reassuring.

It took a good few minutes for her to reach the bottom of the stairs, since she was moving so slowly, and as Sakura stared back up at the hole she had come down from, it was with a growing anxiety that she noted how much _smaller_ the entrance seemed from all the way down there.

"Calm down Sakura," she whispered shakily. "Focus. Revenge. Focus."

Sakura held out her lantern far in front of her and looked to her right and left. There were walls on both sides. Continuing forward, she walked carefully and unhurriedly, watching her feet so that she would not trip. Unfortunately, her faced slammed straight into something solid in front of her, and Sakura stepped back, whimpering.

"Stupid- _stupid_!" she hissed, feeling her nose tenderly. "Itai…" Lifting up her lamp to check what exactly she had crashed into, Sakura felt the pain begin to disappear as a mix of panic and curiosity overtook her. It was a thick, wooden door.

Swallowing nervously, Sakura slid it open.

The first thing she noticed, because she had been looking for it, was a pair of oiled torches on either side of the doorway. Quickly uncovering her lantern and lighting the torches with her candle, the thick wooden posts burst into flame, throwing the room into bright light.

"Wow…" Sakura gasped, looking around in fascination. The room itself was small enough, no more than ten feet on each side, but the walls were layered with old, beautiful paintings and hanging scrolls, as well as several ancient-looking weapons, and in the far side of the room was a low, mahogany table embossed with gold markings. On it rested a long, rectangular box made of redwood, held shut by a large, golden lock. There was a large hanging scroll with a poem written on it, hung on the wall just above the box.

"When an ominous force arrives on the land… a new age will dawn on the land of the rising sun. Those who wield these blades shall usher in a dynasty – of balance and of peace. You, oh children of prophecies, fear not, but remain united. Take up the oaths inscribed in the blades, and protect your people… Clow Reed," she read aloud, awe evident in her voice. "Then this must really be…" Sakura murmured.

Setting her light on the table, Sakura knelt down and touched the long box carefully. Its red wood was smooth and still firm, even after what must have been hundreds of years. Her gaze shifted over to the large, ancient-looking lock keeping it shut. Almost as if by instinct, Sakura's hand reached into her kimono and pulled out the key Gaoran had lost so many months ago from her neck.

She held her breath nervously as she fitted it to the lock and turned.

_Click._

The lock sprang open and fell from the box, and it was with great nervousness and anticipation that Sakura opened it up and stared at the twin swords lying together on a black, silk cushion.

For a good few minutes, Sakura merely knelt there and stared. In front of her… all around her… the very _room she was in_ was the stuff of legends and fairytales. A part of her could hardly believe that any of this was real at all. Finally, she took into her hands the sword nearest to her. Its sheathe was white and looked as if it was made of ivory, wand there was a thin spiral of pink cherry blossom petals covering its entire length. The hilt was black and white, and it gave Sakura goosebumps when she realized it fit perfectly in her small hand, as if it had been made for her.

Hesitantly, she pulled the weapon from its sheathe slowly, and gave another quiet gasp as her eyes fell upon the beautiful, silvery blade. It was, she noticed, extremely light, weighing next to nothing, and there was writing inscribed onto the blade.

"For love and for mercy…" Sakura whispered aloud. As if it had reached up and slapped her, she recoiled and sheathed the sword hastily, putting it back on the black silk. She wasn't allowed to wield that katana if its oath was "for love and for mercy". She was here to avenge her parents, not fight for peace and justice. Sakura rubbed her hands against the wet fabric of her sleeves. It felt like she was dirtying the sword just by touching it.

Her emerald eyes shifted to the next sword. Unlike its twin, this weapon's sheathe was a black ivory, and a silvery embossment of what looked like lightening ran down its length. The hilt was a black and dark green. She hesitated. "You'd better not say anything about love and mercy too," she warned apprehensively, picking it up and unsheathing the blade.

This sword was much heavier than the white one, but it seemed to be made of the same, silvery sort of metal. "For faith and for honor… better, but still not quite me," she mused, a wry smile on her face. It was all right though, even if she wasn't allowed to use either of the katana. They weren't meant for her, they were meant for whatever heroes Clow's scroll told of, and she certainly wasn't a heroine. She was a traitor and an avenger, hardly worthy of even _looking _at these awesome blades. The very least she could do, however, was take them with her to keep someone like Gaoran from getting his bloody paws on them.

She replaced the swords and was about to lock the box shut once again when the sudden sound of footsteps descending the stairs reached her ears. Sakura froze.

Her eyes scanned the room swiftly. There were no other exits.

Her pulse quickened. Gaoran or Syaoran? Either way, she hadn't brought _her_ sword with her!

Glancing up, Sakura noted that there were several short swords and intricate-looking knives on the wall, but they all looked rather old, and she was hesitant to remove them from their positions. The footsteps drew closer.

Panicking, she turned to the box and pulled from it the white sword and tied it quickly to her waist. Drawing it from its sheathe, she stood there, waiting with dread for whoever it was that was coming.

She could see the light of that person's lantern now, drawing closer and closer from the dark hallway towards the brightly lit room. Sakura was half-hidden behind the door, but when the figure emerged from the shadows and into the room, she dropped the katana, and it fell with a shrill clang to the floor.

"S-Syao…" her voice was nothing but a pathetic whimper. "Syaoran…"

The tall figure whirled around quickly at the sound of her voice, and a pair of all too familiar amber eyes widened and locked onto her own emerald ones. For a few moments the two of them remained completely still and perfectly silent.

Dully, Sakura reminded herself that she was supposed to be running away, but her limbs refused to listen to any of the commands she was giving it, and that was just as well. Her mind was too busy reeling to think clearly, so any escape attempt it was concocting at the moment was probably fatally flawed.

"Sa… kura," he whispered, not quite believing what he was seeing.

At the sound of her name on his lips, her heart gave an involuntary squeeze. She clutched her stomach tightly as if he had knocked the air out of her. Deep within her, an emotion of unmistakable longing and hurt began to rise.

It wasn't supposed to be like this, Sakura shook herself mentally. _Move! You idiot! Move!_

She wasn't supposed to be paralyzed with… what was this feeling… fear? She was supposed to have gotten a grip on herself by now – she was, she was supposed to concentrate on her mission, on what she had to do.

Sakura swallowed the tears that threatened to spill over. After a week of nearly bumping into him over and over again, _why_ did the place she had to finally be caught in be impossible to escape from?! Her hands trembled and her gaze strayed over to the fallen sword. As strange as it was, looking at the legendary katana lying on the dusty floor, Sakura felt a sudden urge to pick it up, despite Syaoran's presence. After all, it wasn't right, even if she was unable to wield it, to leave so amazing a weapon on the floor in that manner.

Her heart thumping madly in her chest, Sakura bent over and picked the legendary blade up before sheathing it quietly.

"Sakura, you-" Syaoran's deep, cultured voice flooded her senses, and Sakura had to shut her eyes tightly, the ball of emotion unfurling within her chest too great to contain. "You're… here."

Sakura fisted her hands into her wet clothing, fighting to keep calm. Suddenly, that she was wearing only a thin, soaking wet inner kimono became extremely, blatantly apparent to her. The fabric clung to her body like a second skin, and she was too terrified to check for herself it had begun transparent due to the water. She raised her arms so that they were now hugging the upper half of her body insecurely, though it didn't do much considering she was dripping water from the waist down. Sakura bit her lip. She felt vulnerable, way too vulnerable. _Why _hadn't she just put the stupid outer kimono on?! There couldn't possibly be a worse location or condition for him to find her in. She didn't know what to do.

_He_ didn't know what to do… and was at a complete loss for words.

After a week of dreaming that she was by his side again… after a week of believing himself hallucinatory… of insomnia… of loneliness… of dodging his own guilty conscience and of trying to forget her completely… she was here, in front of him, in the flesh. Not running, because there was nowhere to run. He had her completely at his mercy.

And he couldn't even form a single coherent sentence.

His first impulse was to drop everything – his lantern, his sword, his pride – and just wrap his arms tightly around her and bury his face into her hair, as if nothing had every changed. But his mind held him back, wouldn't let him act so freely upon the emotions welling up and overflowing in him. Syaoran knew now that without a doubt he would probably never be able to forget the girl in front of him. Not when what he was feeling felt so strong and so _tangible_. Surely she could see, just from his heated gaze, how much he longed for her?

_But…_

It was always the _but_. The magical, contrary and cautious side of him that made him who he was, that separated him from the foolish, immature others of his age. _But_, no matter what the situation with North and South actually was, she had come here to kill his brothers. _But_, no matter how much she might have seemed nice and sweet and lovable, she had _lied_ to him and _betrayed_ him – regardless of whatever promises he might have made in his ignorance.

After a few seconds of shocked silence, Syaoran became aware of his surroundings enough to note that she was trembling.

His hands itched. Every muscle in his body was practically _begging_ to pull her into his embrace – but he held back.

Syaoran forced himself to stay rational. What were his options? At the moment, he could see only three. He could turn and leave and just let her go free, without or word, or he could take her with him and keep her a secret from the Academy. This second option would likely require much more effort, since Syaoran seriously doubted that she would so easily give up on her revenge. Third, he could strike her down now, while she was vulnerable to him, and give her over to the Northern authorities to see justice done.

Syaoran smothered a groan. The third, he knew, was impossible for him. The first, too, was unlikely to happen, since there was no way he could just let her go without – without _something_. What, he didn't know, but to just let her leave was too much. That left the second option, and yet that course of action was not particularly appealing either.

As the seconds and then minutes began to tick past, Sakura began to gather her wits. Steeling her expression into one of calm indifference, she pulled herself together.

_Your. Parents. Are. Dead. You can think about this later. Kill the brothers **first**. _

This was no place to fall apart; she had to _do_ something.

"That," she said, her voice quivering. Grimacing, she started again, this time making sure her words were even. "That," Sakura said clearly, pointing to the redwood box on the other side of the room. "That's Clow's sword."

From the moment his eyes had locked onto hers, Syaoran had been staring at her intensely, as if removing his eyes would allow her to somehow disappear. At her statement however, amber orbs flitted over to the box in question, startled.

He looked back at her hesitantly, as if torn between blocking her path to the door and checking to see if what she said was real.

"You can go look," she promised softly. "I won't try to run."

Syaoran gazed hard at her for a few moments, struggling with himself, before taking two long strides across the room and pulling from the box the second, black Clow blade. "Is this real?" he asked in astonishment.

"It's yours, if you want it," Sakura continued carefully, emerald eyes flashing to the open doorway and back to the male in the room. "I know you broke your sword. I don't really care who gets it, as long as it neither Gaoran nor Dairan."

At this statement, he lifted his head and glared at her. "That was you in the forest." It wasn't a question.

Deciding that it was useless to argue, Sakura nodded, keeping her facial features as cool as possible. "Yes, that was me." Their eyes met, and something strange in the way Syaoran was looking at her made her control weaken, just a little.

"I thought it had to be you when I saw the pile of clothing next to the lake," Syaoran said quietly. "Have you been appearing around me all week as well?"

She fought to keep her racing heart in check. "Yes," Sakura said firmly, refusing to let her voice break. "It was pure coincidence though. I'm sorry I caused you trouble."

"It wasn't any trouble," he said quickly, startling the both of them. While Syaoran looked ready to murder himself, Sakura felt a familiar tendril of hope escape from somewhere deep inside her.

_"I don't think I could ever hate you, Sakura…" _… that's what he had said, but then, those words had been lies.

She swallowed the tears. She couldn't blame him for breaking his promise to her. After all, she'd lied to him first. But still it hurt so _much_… she'd been so vulnerable, so open to him, so trusting, so much like she was right now…

Suddenly, the room felt too incredibly small, and Sakura became painfully aware of how he was only a mere handful of feet away from her. He was too close, the space between them was too small! Carefully, so as not to alarm him, she took one more small step back to increase the distance between them, even if only by a little.

"Sakura," Syaoran said suddenly, taking a step towards her, sword still in hand. She backed away a little more.

"What are you planning on doing with me?" she asked him quietly, unable to look away from his face. Here was impending doom, and yet all Sakura could do was stare at him like a dumb animal.

His face was grave. "I don't know," he replied honestly. "But I've got to stop you."

Sakura nodded, her face pale. "I see," she murmured.

Syaoran took another step towards her, and so she took another step backwards, but this time she had to stop mid-step, because the wall was at her back. When she realized this, Sakura looked to her left and her right frantically. She was cornered.

"Sakura," he repeated carefully. A strange, almost painful feeling tugged at him when he saw how terrified she was.

He moved slowly across the room so as not to startle her into running away, and didn't stop until their faces were only a few inches apart. Amber eyes narrowed as Sakura's trembling began again. She was having a hard time standing in his presence.

What was he going to do? What did he _want_ to do? Syaoran wondered. His chest felt as if it was stuffed with a thousand different emotions, each pressing and rubbing up against the others, so it was difficult to decipher exactly _what_ was going on in there.

His amber eyes flashed in surprise as a small pink tongue darted out from between her lips and wetted them. She was doing this unconsciously, too nervous to realize what she doing and how she was affecting him, but it made Syaoran's head spin.

He finally had her where he wanted her. So what did he want to do? Did he want to kiss her? The idea itself sounded appealing… but somehow he couldn't bring himself to just do so out of nowhere? Did he want to _talk_ to her firs then? Syaoran doubted he could think of what to say, his mind was still in a jumble. Was he still mad at her? Did he hate her? Did he love her?

Syaoran shut his eyes, trying to understand the mess of emotions struggling with each other in his chest. It was difficult. He didn't know – and hated himself for his indecision. If he didn't do something soon, then _she_ would.

"Here," Sakura gasped suddenly, a hint of desperation in her voice, and handed him a large key. "Lock the box for me, would you? I was – um, going to leave the box locked but empty so that maybe it would stall Gaoran if he managed to find this place.

He resisted the urge to groan. Here he was, so _close_ to her! Close enough to smell the scent of damp cherry blossoms… close enough to _kill_ her if he so chose! And she wanted him to-

"S-Syaoran?" she asked in a small voice. Then, flustered, she stuttered, "I mean – L-Li-san?"

Her correction hurt him, though Syaoran wasn't sure why. Hadn't this been what he had wanted, to put distance between himself and her? "Don't call me that. I believe we know each other a bit _too _well for surnames," he emphasized the too a bit harshly, and Sakura winced.

He sighed softly when he saw her reaction. This was so frustrating. Taking the key, he went over to the box in silent apology for speaking roughly with her. But after taking a few steps away from her, Syaoran scowled. Why did he have to be sorry? Technically, they were enemies. Technically…

He gazed back at her critically.

"W-Well," she stammered. "I guess I can do it if you don't want to – I mean, at the very least we agree on not wanting your brothers to get their hands on these swords… right?"

His eyes shifted to the open doorway.

"I won't run," she promised solemnly, slipping her hands demurely behind her back.

"Is that the other Clow sword?" Syaoran asked gesturing towards the blade strapped to her waist.

"Y-Yes…"

"Give that to me," he said, and she handed it to him obediently. Sakura started to tremble again as she gave him the sword, but the moment their fingers touched, it finally occurred to Syaoran that a part of her shaking might have been shivering. Her hands were icy cold.

Putting both swords to the side, he pulled off his gi and handed it to her. "Here," he said.

Sakura stared at it, not understanding. Her eyes flitted from the piece of clothing in his hand back to his face and back to the gi again.

"You're cold, aren't you?" he said.

Quietly, she took the gi from his hand and bowed slightly, showing her thanks, all the while wishing that he wasn't so kind. As he turned away from her and towards the table, she pulled it over her head quickly. Slipping out of her shoes and picking them up silently, Sakura stepped noiselessly from her position in the corner and out the door just as Syaoran was just about to put the key into the lock. That was all the head start she could get. Knowing that he would hear the door closing no matter how quietly she attempted to seal it, Sakura slammed it shut as quickly as she could. From the inside, she could hear Syaoran's shouting in surprise.

Taking the short sword she had removed from the wall of the room, Sakura put it against the side of the sliding door, successfully locking the Li heir in for a good few minutes. It was to her favor that the door wasn't a flimsy, rice paper shoji door, but a wooden one. She had no light, but Sakura didn't need one. Swiftly slipping her shoes back on, she darted up the stairs as quickly as she could without tripping.

The moment she was out of the underground cave, she broke into a run, grabbing the clothes she'd left on the sand and racing across the stone path speedily. She'd left the metal, Sakura key in the boulder, unable to bring herself to lock him in. In the end, the one she wanted dead certainly wasn't him, after all.

Yes, she had lied to him. But what was one more lie on top of all the other ones she had fed him until now? At least this one was an honest lie – a straight, blatant, clear and crystal falsehood not tangled up in a web of emotions and difficult relationships. He should have known better by now anyways. He knew best what kind of dirty, lying woman she was.

Sakura felt tears falling down her face as she ran, but it she couldn't stop to wipe them away. She had to get back to Terada-sensei's home before he could catch up. She had to get far, far away from _him_. Her resolve was already slipping.

--

Syaoran berated himself quietly as he stared at the door he had broken down just seconds ago. He should have seen it coming. It wasn't worth his time to try and chase after Sakura now, not when she'd had such a large head start.

His hands balled into fists by his sides. Damn it. Why had he believed that she wouldn't run away simply because she said she wouldn't? Was it because he had _wanted_ to believe her?

Syaoran looked at the two legendary Clow swords sitting on the low, Japanese table. But still, _she_ had left these swords with him – trusted him with them. Somehow, he didn't feel angry with her at all, only with himself for being so stupid. He should have expected this outcome. After all, he was the one who had forced her into a corner.

A rueful sort of smile rose to his lips. She'd probably grabbed the sword off the wall the moment she'd placed her hands behind her back while promising not to run. The little minx.

Picking up the dark blade, Syaoran unsheathed it slowly, his eyes widening when he realized there was writing on the metal.

"For faith and for honor," he read aloud. _For faith_…

Suddenly, everything made perfect sense. Syaoran understood now why he had felt so strange the moment he had stepped into the room. He knew now why a wave of warmth had hit him when he'd finally seen Sakura face-to-face. The pain had intensified, but then, so had a strange feeling of completion.

For the first time since he had thrown her unceremoniously out of the Academy, Syaoran had felt _whole_. The emotions that had been bombarding him, bouncing around his insides until they were undistinguishable suddenly sorted themselves out. For the first time after weeks of insomnia, of pain, and of confusion, he had not felt _lonely_. Even if the ache in his chest hadn't disappeared, it hadn't felt as if there was a gaping hole where his heart was supposed to be. He had felt complete and _whole_, albeit in pain. But he had still felt better, as if the injury was no longer lethal, but healing.

"For faith," he repeated firmly. That was it. He would believe in her – and in himself. He would believe in the Sakura he knew, the Sakura he loved. He would bring her home, because where she belonged was by his side.

Syaoran wanted and would trust her fully, would love her fully, and would protect her fully, no matter what the consequences. He would believe in her.

Ironic, that these feelings of trust would come right after she had lied to him and escaped again, but Syaoran felt strength and life returning to his blood. It was as if he was finally living again after nearly a month of restless slumber.

He needed her.

He wasn't going to let her go.

--

Somewhere else in the Academy, two pairs of wooden, brown eyes flashed with ominous glee.

"Dairan," a deep voice chuckled darkly. "Who would have thought, the cherry blossom came here to play all by herself."

"It saves us the trouble of chasing after her," a second voice agreed. "But this is quite the accomplishment, Gaoran. To think that we'd be able to capture so key a player of the enemy's team so early in the game."

In the darkness, a sound of slamming and someone choking painfully echoed. "Yes," the first voice hissed sadistically. "Don't worry Touya-kun… your sister will be joining you shortly."

--

**Tsuzuku…**

--

**Don't kill me don't kill me!! Haha. I _know_ I told you there would be an um –cough- reunion… and if you read carefully, technically they _did_ meet each other again… it just didn't _stay_ that way. If you _want_ it to stay that way… how's about a few reviews? ;D**

**Guess what folks, I'm officially on summer break, so we'll see if that makes any changes in my updating schedule. More likely than not, there will be no changes since I'll need every extra moment to write _ahead of time_ since I'll be going on vacation in July. Well, we'll see, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter anyways…**

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hanamasturi – flower festival

itai – ouch

katana – Japanese, curved sword


	29. Royalty

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

****

**I'm leaving for my church retreat in approximately three hours! I'm so excited! :D I hope everyone is finally on summer now, because now that you're on summer, you can't pretend like you don't have time and _not_ review! ;) **

**Haha… yeah, I know. I was bad again, leaving poor Touya alone with those two evil Li brothers like that… xP But it's going to really be great fun reading about it – really! **

--

**Inscribed in the Blade**

--

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

--

Never before, in her sixteen years of existence, had Sakura ever locked herself up in a room and refused both meal and audience. Why? For two rather simple reasons. The first, being the simpler of the two, was that she simply did not possess the capacity to go for long periods of time without food when it was a mere ten feet away and smelling delicious. The second was that she easily became lonely. So back at home, throwing temper tantrums were really out of the question.

Here in the Academy, even under kind and hospitable Rika-chan's roof, the latter seemed inescapable no matter how many people were around her. Sakura's emerald eyes had long since lost their original spark after the death of her parents, but now they seemed even more lifeless than before. Even hunger was taking a back seat to the pit that had formed in her soul.

She felt numb.

She was lonely.

"Sakura-chan?"

She hated herself.

"Sakura-chan?"

She almost wished to just die. Even death had to be less agonizing than the turmoil she was currently going through.

"Sakura-chan!"

The girl in question lifted her heavy head slowly, finally realizing that it was _her_ name the voice was calling. "Yes, Rika-chan?" she called in reply.

"Sakura-chan…" the voice trailed off in hesitancy. "Sakura-chan – are you sure… no, Sakura-chan, I really think you should eat something now. It's been two days already, and you haven't come out of this room!"

Two days? Had it really? The only daughter of the Kinomoto family felt as if she could go for at least another week or so – and yet there were things to be done.

Getting up from her sitting position, Sakura stood and went over to the door, removing her sword from its side, which she had used to keep it shut. "Sorry for locking myself in a room that wasn't even mine, Rika-chan. I hope I haven't made you worry too much," she said meekly at the surprised and furious glare her friend gave her.

"Of _course_ I've been worried sick! Come on, let's get you to a bath, and then you'll have something to eat. What have you been _doing_ in there for the past two days?" the young wife huffed, but the concern in her eyes made Sakura smile, just a little. 

"I've been doing some thinking and planning," she replied quietly. "And I've made a few… arrangements. Thank you for letting me be by myself for a while." The door could have easily been broken down, of course, if Rika had insisted, but her understanding friend had been patient enough to give her some space.

If she had wanted to be perfectly honest with her friend, Sakura would have to her that actually, as pathetic as it was, she _had_ spent the first twenty-four hours locked up by herself because she was depressed and nervous. Plus, it probably wouldn't be safe to move around the Academy so soon after Syaoran had caught her anyways. Still, the first half of her silent solitude had been spent in relative self-pity and misery.

But then, loneliness and sorrow had in no way dampened her resolve or thirst for vengeance – a quick flash of her parent's bodies lying on the floor… that was all it took for the burn of hate to rekindle. After thinking everything through carefully yesterday, Sakura finally had a plan that would make up for her previous loss of time during the survival challenge.

After a bath and some breakfast, she would put it into action.

Soaking in warm water did wonders to soothe her stiff muscles, and as Sakura tested her leg out carefully, she was pleased to find it fully healed. Stepping lithely out of the bath and wrapping herself in a white, cotton yukata, Sakura exited the bathhouse feeling completely refreshed. _And _something mouth-watering was wafting over from the kitchens. Her stomach growled for the first time in 48 hours.

She hurried over to the dining area quickly, and was delighted to see the large bowl of udon Rika was making. "You still cook even though there are over a thousand servants in the Academy?" Sakura asked with amused incredulity. It was something Rika would do.

"Well, you know I love to cook, Sakura-chan," she said, smiling brightly and putting a bowl on the table. "Go ahead."

"Udon for breakfast? You're spoiling me," Sakura grinned brightly before immediately chowing down. "Going to join me?"

"Just for a little," Rika said, sitting down. "I'm planning on bringing Yoshiyuki-san his obento in about ten minutes."

Auburn tresses tickled her face as Sakura giggled. It was a forced giggle, but she feigned it with valiant effort, seeing as her entire plan revolved around Rika believing what she was about to say. "Aww… you two are so cute! Here, let me tell you something interesting I heard while I was still free to move about in the Academy." She leaned in. "You know the legend that if you confess your feelings to the one you love during the flower festival at the centermost Sakura tree in the forest – your love will last forever, right?"

Copper-colored eyes twinkled. "Yes, I've heard that one before. It's a rather popular story among the girls right now."

Sakura laughed. "_Well_," she said smiling mysteriously. "My _mother_ has been there before." To her, the sounds of her happy giggles were hollow, but her companion seemed to buy them, and that was all that mattered.

Rika gasped. "Sakura-chan, you _mother_ has been to the Academy before?"

"Twenty years ago, there was no civil war and _both_ Northerners and Southerners attended the Academy," she said. "My father was a student here, and my mother attended the Daidouji Institute. They met and fell in love here at the Academy, and during the hanamatsuri, they confessed their love at the cherry blossom tree." Sakura winked. "And we all know how my parents are…"

The brunette sighed. "So romantic… perhaps Yoshiyuki-san and I should renew our vows at that tree…"

Sakura smiled through gritted teeth, feeling horrible. It was hard making up lies about her parents in the present tense when they were already dead. It felt almost blasphemous. "If the two of you are _any_ more in love, I'm afraid you'll both burst. But here's the thing I wanted to tell you. It turns out that that cherry blossom tree isn't just _any_ tree in the forest. My mother was very clear about one thing. The centermost Sakura tree isn't surrounded by other trees but by a _lake_. If you're able to navigate through the maze of trees in the Sakura forest, then you're supposed to reach a clearing where there is a lone cherry tree in the center."

"Truly?" Rika asked, burning with curiosity. "Did she tell you how to get there?"

At this, Sakura did her best, fake sigh of "frustration", and leaned back unhappily. "The thing is, she left me… I mean, _gave_ me a hint, because she knew I was coming here, but no matter how much I begged, she wouldn't tell me more."

"What's the hint?" her friend asked excitedly.

"Here, let me write it down for you. It's kind of long you see… do you have paper?"

Rika clapped her hands and a young maid rushed in with ink, pen, and parchment.

"Will this do?"

"Wonderfully," Sakura answered, swiftly putting onto paper the cryptic puzzle she'd thought of while hiding inside of Rika's guest room. In truth, the solution was almost ridiculously simple, but the young female hoped that that would be what threw most people off. "I don't know if you'll be able to decipher it though – _heaven _knows that I can't."

Terada-sensei's wife deflated slightly when she saw what Sakura had written. "Oh yes… that _is_ difficult, isn't it?"

"Well, my mother didsay that this was an ancient poem passed down in the family. She was able to find the tree from it too, so that's why she wanted me to find it on my own as well. But here's an idea," Sakura said soothingly. "Why don't you ask some of your friends? You might as well stop by where the Daidouji girls are after dropping your husband's lunch off. They're all very bright, I'm sure. Maybe one of them will be able to figure it out."

"Oh yes, five heads _are_ better than just two, aren't they?" Rika agreed enthusiastically, getting up and putting Sakura's paper into the folds of her kimono. "I think I'll do that."

"Be sure to let me know if anyone figures it out. I'm pretty curious myself," Sakura said cheerfully, bending over her noodles once again. "But remember, you didn't hear it from me."

"No, no of course not."

Sakura allowed herself a satisfied smirk. Five heads? More like several hundred. The only reason Gaoran hadn't gone after those swords already was because he didn't know how. Well, if he didn't, then she would simply have to lure him there. Those little slips of paper would be _everywhere_ by the end of the day.

--

No one, except for perhaps Eriol, had ever seriously accused Li Syaoran of being anything less than brilliant. Therefore, when legions of giggling girls armed with little scraps of paper, claiming that whatever _hint_ was written on them would lead to a cherry blossom tree in the middle of a lake appeared, he had the notion that Sakura _might_ be behind it all.

Part of him was elated that traces of her existence were finally appearing once again after two days of complete silence. The other half of him was worried about what kind of plan she was concocting. Either way, he was bound and determined to find her before anything fatal could occur.

"Follow after blooming petals.

The answer you seek lies there.

Pebbles decorate her shores.

There fall heaven's blessings.

You dream of an everlasting potency.

Shall I reveal its location?

Find the ancient inscriptions of old.

Clow's legacy there lies.

Treasures and the precious desire of your heart."

Syaoran read the "ancient poem" several times more before rolling his eyes. What was she thinking, spreading a thing like this around? That idiot. For the first time in what seemed to be years, the young Li heir felt a familiar tug at the corner of his lips.

For a female who had successfully duped nearly an entire Academy of intellectual elites into believing that she was a boy, Sakura was certainly not lacking in knowledge about women. Syaoran had to admit that whatever her goal was, the first part of her plan had been executed superbly. If what she wanted was to have this information passed around, then placing it in the hands of gossiping ladies was definitely the right way to go. It was racing from female to female like wildfire on blades of dry grass.

"Syaoran."

Amber eyes widened slightly, but Syaoran kept his facial expression schooled carefully as he turned around to face his second eldest brother.

"Dairan," he acknowledged coolly.

The older male sauntered over to his younger sibling, a wide smile on his face. "I see you've also caught a bit of spring fever yourself. Planning on finding that cherry tree with that fiancée of yours?"

Syaoran's eyes narrowed. The jab was clear. Everyone already knew that Tsukishiro Sakura had returned to her brother's home for "familial" reasons. Whether or not his brothers were aware of her real identity, he still wasn't sure.

"No such thing Dairan. I was merely taking a look at what has got the Academy in such an uproar," he crumpled the piece of paper indifferently. "Such a thing is ludicrous."

Brown eyes flashed. "But not false?"

Syaoran shrugged before tossing Dairan the poem he had been reading. "I don't know, and I don't particularly care. The poem is supposed to be an ancient one, according to all those chattering females. Whether or not such information is true I am unaware."

"How interested are you in the affairs of a certain Clow Reed, Syaoran?" Dairan asked softly. There were the subtle tendrils of persuasion laced in his tone. "You _are _aware of who he is, aren't you?"

He scowled. "What is this Dairan? A game of twenty questions?"

"So you _are_ interested," the older of the two nodded, satisfied. "No, it's nothing. I was just thinking that it's about time you started spending some time with the other males in your family, Syaoran. Gaoran and I have so much to teach you. Why don't you come with our squads on the patrol tomorrow instead of with your usual command? I'll show you something interesting."

Syaoran frowned. They were up to something again. "I refuse," he said flatly. "If that's all you wanted to say, then leave."

"Ah, ah… so cold to your family. Well, let me know if you change your mind," he turned before pausing, as if just remembering. "Oh, and before I forget. Your sisters are arriving tonight. We have a dinner in the main house, and Okaa-sama wants you there. I've already informed your teachers, not that any of them would dare give you a hard time anyways. So many people here just seem to lack backbone…"

"Would you be willing to say that to Yue's _face_?" Syaoran asked scathingly. "I'm sure he'd have a thing or two to say about 'backbone'."

"When will you learn that some things are simply better said… and done, in secret, otouto?" Dairan laughed.

He crinkled his nose in distaste. "Go spin your self-absorbed theories elsewhere Dairan. I'll be there to greet my sisters later."

"_Our _sisters, Syaoran. _Ours_," he smirked. "What's yours is mine… and what's _mine_ is _yours_, of course."

Syaoran's temper flared and he stormed back into his dojo. "That _bastard_," he hissed.

The dinner that night took place right before the evening's history exam. The ranking competitions had been increasing in number as the hanamasturi neared day by day, but Yelan had ordered it pushed back tonight so that the Li family could properly welcome its daughters back home from Fuutie's engagement ceremony in Hong Kong.

"The girls are late," the headmistress of the Academy said severely, gazing at the empty seats around the table with displeasure.

"I'm sure that they were merely delayed for a short while, Okaa-sama," Gaoran said placatingly, motioning for a servant in the back to check if their carriage had arrived yet. "It is quite a trip from Japan to the continent, after all."

Dairan nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes. How many fascinating things they must have seen there! I, too, hope to travel to China one day as well. The Li Clan there is strong as well, is it not?"

"Your eldest sister's fiancé is to be head of our Chinese branch, subordinate only to the main house here. You know this, Dairan. Gaoran, tell the servants to begin bringing in the food. Your brother still needs to attend the challenge for this evening," Yelan commanded.

"Hai, Okaa-sama."

Syaoran remained steadfastly silent. The dishes were brought in one by one, each grander than the one before, but the young Li heir found himself wondering what it was that could possibly keep the giggling, female members of his family away for so long when they had all written mountain loads of rapturous letters telling him how much they missed their precious 'Syao-chan'. Usually, right about this time-

"Syaoran!! We've missed you!!" The regal silence of the room was broken suddenly by four, beautiful women bursting through the door, all of them rushing in and pouncing immediately upon their youngest brother.

"Oh, _oh_ Syao-chan, when did you break up with Mei Ling-chan and find a different fiancée all by yourself? I was so _sure _that you two children were going to be together forever!" Feimei gushed.

Shiefa wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and squealed, "Oh I want to meet her! I must! Who's this beautiful girl who's stolen our baby brother's heart?!"

"Fuutie, Shiefa, Fanren, Feimei – _please_ keep your affections and hands to yourselves," Syaoran complained exasperatedly, seriously rethinking his previous concern for their safety.

"But Syao-chan!"

Their mother inclined her head slightly. "Girls," she said smoothly.

Almost immediately, the four sisters straightened politely, and bowed low to their mother with great grace and respect. "Okaa-sama," they chorused.

Fuutie lifted her head first and went over to Yelan's side. "Okaa-sama. As I have written in my usual correspondence, the engagement has been completed and Izhao and I will hold our wedding here in the main house next year, spring."

The powerful mistress of the Academy smiled. "It is good to see you again, Fuutie."

"I have missed you, Okaa-sama." The eldest daughter kissed her mother's cheek.

"Take your seats girls. The dinner has already begun," their mother said.

"Oh, Okaa-sama. Hong Kong is just as you described it! The people there really _do_ wear those new qi pao dresses instead of the old hanfu clothing! It was so strange. I bought an entire cartload of them, filled with all sorts of different colors as a bit of a souvenir," Fanren said excitedly.

"Yes, yes! I'd never seen anything like it! But I was thinking how beautiful Fuutie's wedding dress would be if we blended both the Japanese kimono and Chinese qi pao together," Fuumei added dreamily.

Yelan took a sip of the soup before putting her spoon down. "Girls, your excitement is inappropriate for this dinner."

Fuumei pouted. "But it's the first _family_ dinner we've had in so long. Must we be so formal?"

"Fuumei," Fuutie said admonishingly.

The youngest daughter sighed and hung her head. "Gomen nasai."

"Did Wei come back with you?" Syaoran asked suddenly. "I thought you wrote he would."

"Oh yes. Wei said that he wanted to see to the household management first though. He's such a dedicated head manservant isn't he?" Fanren giggled lightly. "And here the four of us were all hoping he'd find a nice Chinese lady to bring back with him, but all that was on his mind was taking care of us."

"That is why I sent him with you," Yelan told her daughters, the ghost of a smile on her lips. "You must all have been quite a load for Wei to handle."

"We behaved ourselves perfectly!" Fanren said hotly.

"The last time you said that, imouto-chan," Dairan smirked with good humor. "I believe we discovered that you'd accidentally broken Mei Ling-chan's prize vase."

She flushed fiercely, and when her mother wasn't looking, stuck her tongue out at her brother.

"You've been rather silent this entire meal," Fuutie said, smiling. "What might be on your mind, Gaoran?"

Gaoran chuckled lightly. "It seems such a long time since you've asked me that question, Fuutie. I always used to follow you around when we were children, but you could never guess what I was thinking."

"I still find your mind a bit puzzling now," the oldest child of the Li family said, a bit sadly. "But it is so good that you have returned to the Academy. I was beginning to think that our ties would have to be cut."

"The Academy is not so much home as it used to be," he acknowledged diplomatically. "But I am, of course, still a member of the Li family, legal heir or not."

Everyone in the room, with the exception of Gaoran, Syaoran, and Yelan, stiffened perceptibly.

Fuutie dabbed at her mouth daintily with a napkin before folding her hands neatly. "Syaoran, who is this fiancée I've heard about? I hadn't realized that our family was blessed so much as to have two engagements occur within the same month."

Mentally, Syaoran applauded his sister for her shrewd and skillful ability to change the topic without causing any added tension. "Her name is Sakura. I will introduce her to you some time."

At this, his brothers and mother turned towards him sharply. Yelan smiled approvingly. "That is wonderful news Syaoran. Will she be returning to the Academy soon?"

Syaoran took another bite of rice, ignoring the curious stares Dairan and Gaoran were both sending him. "It may take a while, but I plan on bringing her back not too far away in the future."

Next to him, the two males narrowed their eyes shrewdly.

"I've never seen you so taken by anyone before, Syaoran," Dairan commented in a strange voice. "I must admit I was surprised when I was informed of your engagement ceremony one morning, and then was immediately dragged off to attend it. This is a bit out of character for you, isn't it? You've changed a great deal since I left."

Amber eyes narrowed. "Yes, well you left."

Fanren giggled. "Well I think it's about time he became a bit more spontaneous."

"Syaoran," Gaoran said setting his food down and gazing over at his youngest brother across the table. "Come with me tomorrow during my patrol. I have some things I want to teach you."

Although he was the heir of the Li Clan, until he inherited his position, Gaoran was, at the very least, on equal footing with him. In the presence of his mother and sisters who had no knowledge or even suspicions of the two son's possible betrayals, it was difficult to maneuver.

"Very well," he said, distaste dripping from his lips. "I'll join you."

--

He watched with appraising admiration at the orderliness and effectiveness of his brother's troops. Dairan had retired to the tents to speak with some of the advisors, but Gaoran stood roughly ten feet in front of Syaoran, commanding his men with an undeniably impressive authority. They moved, stepped, and breathed to his every instruction. With a sort of cold shiver, Syaoran wondered if these men would be the ones they'd be forced to fight if, indeed, Gaoran was heading a faction to create war.

Seeing that Gaoran was preoccupied with a small squadron that was having difficulty with the new catapult the Academy had just issued, Syaoran strolled over to a group of younger trainees who were looking after their weapons.

"You," he said clearly, addressing a short boy who was sitting a distance from the others. "What is your name?"

"Li-sama!" the fighter jumped to his feet immediately and bowed low. "My name is Itomura, sir. How may I help you?"

Syaoran crossed his arms. "At ease. I have some questions for you regarding this squad's usual routines. How long have you been under my brother's command?"

"I was brought in to serve here but two months ago sir."

"Gaoran handles the northwestern front of the forest, does he not?"

"Yes sir!"

"Have you participated in any of the campaigns along the front lines?" Syaoran asked.

The boy promptly turned red. "Ahh… no sir. I have been at the border several times, but never participated in any campaigns. I was sent there – um," he hung his head. "As punishment for failing to transport the ammunition quickly enough. Now I'm in charge of saddling the horses, sir."

"I see," Syaoran said after pause, realizing that he had picked the wrong person to question. "Is everyone else here is actively involved?"

The soldier shook his head. "No sir. Well, perhaps I should say that the men are divided into separate groups, sir. Most of them men rarely go near the actual border, but serve as rescue squads for other teams or maybe patrol occasionally. Only the men who've been trained specially by Gaoran-sama are allowed on the missions he leads himself."

This piqued Syaoran's interest. "But you have been at the border?"

"Saddling horses and manning the retreat camp sir."

"The retreat camp?" – what need was there for a retreat camp when they were merely patrolling? – "Where do these favored men go during their assignments?"

"Why, into the forest sir. I'm not certain exactly, since I've never followed of course," he said quickly. "But they say that they merely scout deeper into the woods. The main squad is often gone for extremely long periods of time, however, and most of the time they come back with wounds. The South must really be forcing their way upwards, even though I've never actually seen any of the enemy."

Syaoran nodded, digesting this. A squad that actually went into the trees, where no one else could see what they were doing. His expression was grim. As much as he detested his brothers, he dearly hoped that they weren't really the ones responsible for provoking the North and South to arms, but the situation looked bleak.

"I see. And everyone else merely patrols on our side of the border?"

"Well," Itomura began, but then stopped.

The young Li heir caught the slight immediately. "Speak," he ordered.

At this, the boy began to fidget. "Well, there _is_ one other group. A bunch of men Gaoran-sama trained himself, but I'm not really sure where they came from. In any case, it seems as if they move around in the North a lot – probably to help all the other squads and teams," he stammered hurriedly. "But no one really knows what it is they do. Only that they're under direct command of our general." In a slightly awed voice he added, "I think they probably do a lot of top secret missions for the North."

He let out a low hiss. Two squads, one sent to the South and one sent around the North. A little prodding the two opposing sides and Japan's two halves were sure to scream for blood. This was looking a bit too indicative for his liking.

"Acquainting yourself with my men?" a deep voice drawled.

Syaoran turned immediately towards his brother. "You were the one who told me to observe how your men work, Gaoran," he said coolly. "I was asking this boy what sorts of assignments he's been sent on. It turns out he's in charge of the horses."

"Yes," Gaoran said, sneering slightly at the blushing soldier. "I remember _this_ one's slip up rather well. Cost me some extremely valuable men."

"He seems smart. Make use of him, Gaoran. We have stable boys to take care of horses," Syaoran commented, knowing what sort of response his statement would elicit from his brother.

"Mind your own squads, Syaoran. The one who was brought here to learn was you," the older man answered hostilely.

Inwardly, Syaoran allowed himself a satisfied smirk. Unfortunately for Itomura, he was going to stay horse boy for a little longer. The young Li heir planned to make use of him.

"Come. I wanted to show you something back at the cells," Gaoran said suddenly, turning away from the open fields where his men were.

Syaoran was surprised, but schooled his features carefully, revealing none of this. What was it that Gaoran wanted to show him in the prisons? The ruthless general was not known for taking prisoners.

They rode back to the Academy in relative silence, since only Dairan among the males in their family was talkative, but soon Syaoran began to notice that they were headed not for the military jail, but towards a more secluded section in the large school.

"A private prisoner of my own. I was very fortunate to have caught him," Gaoran said, answering Syaoran's questioning look. "Keep his existence a secret for now. I have my own agenda regarding this one. That I'm showing him to you at all is a sign of my esteem and trust." Brown eyes locked carefully onto amber ones. "I hope that we will become closer in the future, Syaoran. Living among friends at the Academy seems to have dulled your warrior instincts, but I can help you gain a strength you've never even dreamed of."

Syaoran regarded his brother stoically. "I have not become soft, Gaoran. Merely more flexible." His words had a steel edge to them, but Gaoran merely smiled maliciously.

He pulled a small, brass key from his sleeve and unlocked the door, sliding it open for Syaoran. "After you."

He cast Gaoran a suspicious glance before walking into the dark building wordlessly.

It was day, but there were no windows, and when the door was shut, the entire room was enveloped by darkness. Behind him, Gaoran lit the candle of a lantern hanging from the ceiling, and Syaoran's eyes widened in shock at the sight before him.

"What… is this?" he said slowly, not believing what he was seeing.

"This is the best prize I have won yet, a hostage and a treasure chest full of our enemy's secrets. Do you know who this is Syaoran?" Gaoran asked, grinning maliciously down at the bound man. "Few Northerners have ever seen his face. This is Kinomoto Touya. A nobleman from the South, recently named the head of the Kinomoto family. Of _them_, at least, I'm sure you've heard."

It was really a good thing that his brother was too busy gloating to realize how white Syaoran's knuckles had gone and how furious he was. It took every inch of his control to keep from forcefully freeing Sakura's brother immediately. The proud Southern aristocrat was crouched in the corner of the room, his hands and legs bound, gagged, blindfolded, and chained to the far wall. It was so shameful Syaoran could hardly bear it. At the sound people entering the room, the prisoner had immediately snarled at the two of them and struggled at his bonds.

"Why are you keeping him here?" he questioned, unable to keep the hint of anger from his words. Gaoran did not seem surprised, though.

"You're too noble Syaoran. War is war. When you fight opponents on the battlefield you do not duel them. A fighter must do everything in his power to win; only samurai in peacetime have the luxury of fighting fair and kindly. This man is our enemy. What does it matter if we put him in chains? Everything is merely a means to an end. I'm sure you understand that."

Syaoran went over to the thrashing man. "And what is the 'end' that you're aiming for?" he asked, before reaching out and removing the blindfold. The moment Touya could once again see, his eyes flew up in furious rage to glare at the person in front of him, but he stopped for a fraction of an astonished second.

Subtly, Syaoran shook his head so that only Touya could see. Sakura's brother narrowed his eyes, but seemed to decide it was worth his while to play along. He kept silent, not that the gag left him much option.

"An interesting question, otouto," Gaoran commented slowly. "What prompts it?"

"Nothing," he said, straightening and backing away from their prisoner. "Only, you never seemed incredibly patriotic to me, Gaoran. I'm surprised that you would go so far for your country."

A dry chuckle. "Not for the _country_ perhaps, but for my family I wouldn't mind doing a few favors. You're right in saying that it is not the North's benefit I seek, but mine and those who I deem as belonging to me. There is power to be gained from war."

Although bound and gagged, the young head of the Kinomoto family could still hear perfectly well, and Syaoran saw on the older man's face a growing revulsion for his brother that he himself was unable to openly express.

"What do you owe your nation and your people Syaoran?" Gaoran asked with a cruel smirk. Syaoran turned to glare darkly at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Aristocracy… nobility… royalty – everything that has power and influence and respect, how did these people obtain those ranks? By force – by _taking_." There was an eerie, almost mad glint in his expression as he spoke, and Syaoran felt another shiver roll down his spine. "Why do the common people follow their leaders? Because their leaders have the power to both create and destroy their happiness. That is why. There is nothing else separating nobles from peasants except that we have soldiers who can crush, without mercy, all the rebels. So why not take it for ourselves?"

When his younger brother remained silent, Gaoran's voice dropped to a low whisper. "Let's become _royalty _Syaoran, royalty."

There was so much disgust and horror running through his system that Syaoran could barely spit out a sarcastic, "And you thought that up all by yourself then, did you?"

"No, our beloved father did."

The loathing welling up in his chest was immediately replaced by fury. "You are trying to tempt me with an ideal _that_ _man_ created? You're out of your mind Gaoran. There is no being in the world I despise more."

"_Aniki_, otouto. Call me _aniki_, like you used to when we were smaller. I'm your older brother, and the both of us possess the blood of _that_ _man_, as you so affectionately named him. Never forget that blood is thicker than water. Your bond with your blood runs too deep to simply disappear."

Syaoran remained immobile, not believing what was coming from his brother's mouth.

"You aren't just a _Li_, Syaoran. you're an _Akushin_. Father might have taken Mother's name to reap the benefits of the Li family surname, but his blood does not lie, and neither does yours. You possess a demon heart, just like Dairan and I."

Gaoran began walked past him and knelt in front of a livid Touya. He smirked. "I want you to join us, Syaoran. It's about time you took your place in our ranks." He raised a hand high, and then slapped Sakura's brother hard across the face. The sound of the blow split loudly through the air, and Syaoran, who had not been looking, turned around in furious surprise.

"What are you­-"

"I know that honor and respect and all that good nonsense has been ingrained into you since birth Syaoran, but it's alright. I'll make the transition painless." He took the blindfold from Syaoran's hand and retied it around Touya's head, despite the prisoner's thrashing. "All you have to do is stay the obedient boy you are. Listen to my instructions and keep protecting the North, which is what you know best. The rest you may leave to me until the very end."

He rose and sauntered over to the door. "Come Syaoran. It is time for us to go. You may come with me again later when I decide it's time to make use of the Kinomoto boy."

It was with great difficulty that he clenched his fists and strode silently over to the exit, leaving Touya by himself. The anger, disbelief, and revulsion he felt was almost too much to bear, but in order to correct the situation, he would have to stay quiet for a little while longer until he and Eriol could regroup.

Gaoran grinned malevolently. "There's a good boy, _otouto_."

--

**Tsuzuku…**

--

****

**Now that I go over it once, this chapter doesn't really seem like thirteen pages of size ten font, does it? I know nothing huge happened, but it's a necessary prelude to an exciting development… promise. :D**

**Okay, so now you've seen a bit of both Sakura and Gaoran's plans, so I wonder what is running through all of your minds right now? Haha. I know what kind of climax I want to create, but I suppose you will all simply have to read and see. Oh, and a couple of extra REVIEWS might speed the 'reading and seeing' process up. –wink wink- **

**Oh, and before I get any questions. Akushin is a name completely fabricated by myself. As previously explained in the story, Li Yelan was from the Li Clan while her husband was from a different, wealthy family. He took on her name when the two households merged. **

**Won't you drop me a…**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW?**

otouto – younger brother

aniki – older brother

okaa-sama – honored mother

arigatou – thank you

qi pao – Chinese style of dress that most of you are probably familiar with. It's the high collar, colorful, tight-fitting dress with slits on either side.

hanfu – a style of Chinese dress before the Chi Dynasty. It's more similar to the Japanese style, which _was_ derived from the hanfu style.

gomen nasai – sorry

imouto – younger sister

hai – yes

hanamasturi – flower festival

Akushin – a name I made up by myself. Aku means demon. Shin means heart. Therefore, demon or devil heart.


	30. Pride

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP. **

**I'm making the announcement right now that, as hard as I've been trying, I think I will be unable to update _every _week that I am in Taiwan. I'll do my best, but I can make no guarantees. I'll be there by next Friday, so try to look forward to an update... but like I said, I just can't make any promises. Of course, reviews might motivate me to try harder.. ;)**

**Yes, I realize that their "separation" has become a bit drawn out, as so many of my wonderful reviewers are _hinting_ at me, and so I present to you all, at last, the chapter you have been waiting for. Instead of taking up your time with more rambling, please read, enjoy, and REVIEW! Haha. **

--

**Inscribed in the Blade**

--

**Chapter Thirty**

--

The night of the Sakura festival arrived much more swiftly than anyone had anticipated. The planners and teachers were all still rushing and bustling around and students were buzzing with nervous excitement. To Sakura, however, the wait had seemed impossibly long. Her night had finally arrived.

As she sat in wait atop the cherry blossom tree in the middle of the lake, Sakura felt the impatient waves of anticipation tingle over the surface of her skin.

Waiting here, like this, just waiting was unbearable. She'd watched and planned and held herself back for an almost excruciating amount of time, and finally, in a matter of a half an hour or so, he would be making his way through the woods and to his doom.

And he _would_ come. Sakura had made sure of it. After circulating hundreds of Daidouji Institute students armed with her hint through the Academy, it was impossible for Gaoran not to realize that the answer to the riddle on his desk was in the Sakura forest. That was three days ago, but as the head overseer of the challenges, he would have found it impossible to leave. Tonight was the first evening he could possibly slip away unnoticed by anyone else and attempt to navigate through the forest himself.

"Follow after blooming petals.

The answer you seek lies there.

Pebbles decorate her shores.

There fall heaven's blessings.

You dream of an everlasting potency.

Shall I reveal its location?

Find the ancient inscriptions of old.

Clow's legacy there lies.

Treasures and the precious desire of your heart," her lips curled into a mocking smile as she recited the clue she had left him. "Follow the pebbles. There you shall find Clow's treasures." Sakura laughed a little, wondering if Gaoran was at all suspicious of this so-called ancient poem's too-easy solution. Perhaps simply using the first word of each line had been a bit too straightforward.

Someone with his cunning would definitely recognize her note's secret meaning. She'd already laid pebbles out at the start of each correct vein of the forest maze so that her prey would be able to find his way without too much difficulty. They were clean, perfectly round, white pebbles from the bottom of the lake, and she'd pressed them into the ground and trodden over the dirt over and over until they looked as if they'd always been there. That way, hopefully Gaoran would fall into her trap without suspecting that someone was leading him to Clow's swords.

At the sound of fireworks, Sakura hopped of the tree lightly and stretched. Sakura frowned at the water. She would have liked to force Gaoran to swim, but seeing as it was impossible for her to put the stone path down from the island, Sakura grudgingly let them remain above the water's surface. It wouldn't give her much more of an advantage if he was sopping wet anyways. She already had the element of surprise.

Sakura placed a gentle, almost reverent hand on the tree as she stared up at the beautiful, pink flowers blooming abundantly from its limbs. With a small, sad smile she reached up and plucked from one of the thinner branches the metal, cherry blossom key that she had left behind with Syaoran.

She stared at it quietly. He hadn't known about the pedestal in the water, where the key had originally came from, so he'd left it in the tree, somewhere only mediocrely difficult to spot. But why? Sakura wondered. Why not take it with him instead of giving her the opportunity to return to the underground chamber again? What was he thinking?

But then, what did it matter now? Walking swiftly over to the stone boulder and pressing the key to its place, Sakura waited patiently as the rock slid to the side once again. Then, taking it out quickly, Sakura ran, put it back onto the tree where Gaoran was sure to find it, and dashed back to the entrance of the hole, running quickly in just as the rock slid shut over her.

Her plan had been to wait in the quiet darkness of the cave until Gaoran entered and went into the second room where she would be waiting to ambush him. Dairan would probably wait outside the forest to fend off any lovesick girls who wanted to find the centermost Sakura tree, but would be forced to follow after his brother eventually, when the (hopefully) dead Li failed to return. Of course, it was only now, as she stared unseeingly into the pitch-black darkness, that the possibility of failure registered in Sakura's head. And of course she had no clue how to move the rock from the _inside_ of the **underground** cave. She'd counted dying here if she failed to defeat Gaoran, but she'd never counted on sealing herself into her own tomb if her objective never made his way down here from the school.

Sakura said a soft prayer as she descended the steps slowly, her arms in front of her, feeling for the walls and for balance. Lighting a lamp would have been nice, but the smell of fire would have tipped Gaoran off, and would probably (Sakura now realized) take up more oxygen, which she really couldn't afford to waste at the moment, especially if he decided to show up late.

Her heart pounded frantically against her chest, but Sakura steeled herself calmly, continuing to make her way down. Now her plan did not seem as well rounded as she had at first thought it was, but what was the use panicking now that she couldn't turn back? She would merely have to stick to it and hope to whoever was merciful in heaven that Gaoran would find the underground room. Dying on a sword she could handle, but Sakura wasn't sure that death by suffocation would be very pleasant or noble.

"Syaoran," she whimpered slightly when she reached the bottom step. His name left her lips so naturally, but sounded foreign to her ears, as if it was strange to hear his name spoken in her voice. Sakura admonished herself. Of course it was strange. She had avoided even _thinking_ about him as well as she could for so long, and tonight was definitely _not_ the night to stop.

Having reached the bottom, Sakura continued to walk slowly forward, feeling for the door that would lead her to the final room. When she finally managed to slide it open, she shut it behind her and crouched in a low position to its side. If everything went well, Gaoran would walk right past her, see the long, (empty) wooden box and be preoccupied enough for Sakura to sneak up behind him and deliver a blow which, if it was not deep enough to kill him, would at least wound him sufficiently enough for her to stand a chance.

Sakura shifted uncomfortably as a small voice in the back of her head denounced her actions as dishonorable, but she silenced it quickly by reminding herself that nothing about revenge had even a shred of honor or nobleness to it. Plus, she wasn't fighting to win; she was fighting to _kill_.

She shivered slightly. It was cold down there. Rubbing her hands furiously and hugging herself, Sakura hissed into the silence, "Get down here _quickly_, you bastard!"

--

Dark brown eyes stared coolly at the scene of lively males and females dancing and talking and laughing with each other as they strolled about the large party area, enjoying the festivities. Gaoran smirked. Well, it was just fine with him if everyone was here, too busy enjoying the festival to be aware of anything else.

Looking over at his brother, Gaoran nodded, signaling Dairan to slip away from the party guests and students so that they could make their way over to the Sakura forest. Loud fireworks erupted above them, and somewhere in the background, he heard Tsukishiro Yukito, the kenjutsu instructor, announce to the whole crowd that the King and Queen of the flower festival would be revealed within the next hour. The speed of his steps increased. There would be more distractions for all the watchful teachers and servants to be focused upon now than ever.

"Gaoran," Dairan acknowledged as the elder brother stepped past the third row of buildings from the festival.

"Dairan," he responded in the same manner. "Come. Tonight is the night we finally realize _one_ of our objectives, since you have so elegantly bungled the other."

At this, the smaller man flared up indignantly. "That library is _centuries_ old, and large beyond belief. Do not forget that it was _you _who forbade me from having servants help search for the scroll."

"Time is of the essence," Gaoran growled irritably as they walked swiftly to the grassy valley separating Syaoran's dojo from the wood of pink trees. "And you have wasted too much of it already. I only hope Syaoran does not prove as much of a disappointment as you. His part must be played out well. _Your_ search of just one building of books has taken over a month-"

"Which means that very little of it is now left unearthed. Be patient a little longer, brother. Was it not I who found the poem, which now leads us to Clow's swords?"

This answer seemed to appease Gaoran, and the two of them walked the rest of the way in relative silence. When they reached the edge of the trees, both Gaoran and Dairan lifted their lamps and walked along the forest's perimeter, scrutinizing the ground carefully, as if searching for something.

Finally, Dairan said, "Here. Gaoran, I've found the entrance."

"So this is the pebble from the poem," Dairan's deep voice said lowly as he knelt down and dug the small, smooth stone from the ground. He lifted it up for his brother to see. "What do you think, Dairan?"

Dairan frowned. "It looks much too perfect and untouched to have been here for very long. That fool Terada often takes the boys riding through here. I can't imagine that any pebble, placed by Clow or not, could remain so unscarred. This is probably a trap, as I thought. It was set by whoever started those blasted rumors among the girls."

"And who would set a trap for us Dairan? Who _knows_ about what we are planning?" he hissed.

"Yue is no longer spymaster. He retired his position to another many months ago, a fact I have only just recently discovered. Whoever the new spymaster is, he is cunning enough to keep such important information from me," Dairan responded.

At the sound of giggling some distance away, both men whirled around, startling a boy and girl who had been trying to sneak into the forest.

"The viewing of the Sakura trees begins in the morning, Tatsumaru-kun," Dairan said firmly, his usual, charming smile immediately in its place. "I'm afraid that no students are allowed in this forest tonight. You and your lady friend had best return to the festival."

The boy scratched his head and looked nervously from Gaoran to Dairan. "Ah… sorry sensei, but you see, there's this legend about a tree in this forest, and well, I just thought that-"

"The forest is off limits at night. The rule does not change simply because there is a party," Gaoran said harshly, glaring menacingly at the young couple. "Return to the festival before I have you both punished severely for stepping out of line." They both trembled under his fierce gaze, and Tatsumaru began apologizing very quickly.

"Now, now. Don't frighten them so badly, Gaoran," the teacher of the gentleman's class chided softly. "It was really a good thing I decided to accompany you on your little patrol. How many students you would have terrified! Tatsumaru-kun," he said, turning to the student kindly. "I think you better take your friend and return to the festival. I assure you that she would have more fun there than here anyways. The forest can be rather scary at night."

"H-Hai! Dairan-sensei!" the boy said nervously, bowing quickly. "Come on Hinamori-san. L-Let's go…"

When the light from the students' lanterns disappeared, Gaoran turned to his brother stoically. "You will stay out here and keep any students from entering the forest. I shall follow the path of pebbles and find Clow's swords. Stay here until I return."

"And what if this is a trap?" Dairan demanded irritably.

"This is no trap," Gaoran said impatiently. "This Sakura forest is a maze. Do you not remember how it defeated even us when we were children, trying to find our way through? If _we_ could not unravel this forest's secrets in ten year's time, then who could?"

"Syaoran followed us around as children-"

"And _he_ is currently at the hanamatsuri waiting to be crowned king. Stay here."

"_Gaoran_-"

A sharp gaze from his older brother silenced Dairan immediately.

"If you must, you may follow after if I do not return within two hours. The students will all be too busy participating in the festival activities by then, and it will do well for you to come help me if I haven't yet solved Clow's puzzles."

Dairan looked dissatisfied, but nodded. "I'd prefer that you return quickly with the swords."

Gaoran turned and walked into the forest, holding his lamp out to watch the ground. Following the stones in the ground was difficult in the dark, three or four times he had to backtrack in order to avoid getting lost. It was a long half hour before he emerged from the trees and beheld in silent amazement the lake and its island.

Instinctively, his dark eyes scanned the entire clearing quietly, inspecting it for any enemies. When he was satisfied that there was no one there, Gaoran crossed the stone path in the water slowly, still looking about him, taking in unbelievable sights.

The moment he stepped onto the powdery white sand, the eldest son of the Li Clan shifted his right hand so that it was on the hilt of his sword. There was something strange and mysterious about this place. Whether that was simply because it was an obstacle barring intruders from finding Clow's secrets or because of something else, Gaoran did not know, but at the very least he did not sense any immediate danger.

After going over to the tree and observing it for a few moments and finding nothing forthcoming, he went to the rock, and his eyes landed immediately upon the Clow insignia inscribed into the boulder. He ran two callous fingers over the etchings and a cold smirk found its way to his lips. "Very soon."

Turning, a metallic glint from the Sakura tree caught his eye and the smirk widened. "Found you." Going over to it, he reached out and removed from a small niche a pink, metal cherry blossom. Its jagged edge cut into his skin when he touched it, and Gaoran's upper lip curled with irritation.

Turning the object over, he studied the bumps at its back carefully and recognized the pattern quickly. Returning to the stone, he placed the key into its place and turned. He laughed lowly as the ground below him began to rumble and the boulder began to shift from its original position.

At this rate, he would be out of the forest before Dairan even began considering going after him.

Sparing one last, calculating glance at the scenery behind him, Gaoran stepped into the underground cavern, his footsteps echoing loudly into the still air.

His eyes, already so accustomed to the dark, adjusted almost immediately. He descended quickly, not at all concerned with something so uncouth as tripping, and walked with confidence until a wooden door appeared in front of him. This he slid open without a second thought.

Clow's most prized treasures would be his soon, twin swords unmatched by any other in the nation. He alone had been able to delve deeper than anyone else into the Academy's ancient founder's mysteries.

Almost instinctively, he turned to his left the moment he entered the room, and was satisfied to see that there was a torch there, waiting to be lit. The room was swiftly bathed in a bright light, and Gaoran's gaze moved directly to the other end of the room where a long, wooden box lay, secured by a large lock.

His eyes narrowed. The key he had lost probably would have made itself useful here, but it was no matter. Wood and metal could not stand between him and his goal.

--

Emerald eyes watched with terrified anticipation as Gaoran began walking forward, his lantern long forgotten by the side, with his right arm extended. She unbent her knees, straightening slowly and soundlessly, waiting for the perfect moment. Now that her time had finally come, Sakura felt as if her blood had suddenly gone cold, and she wasn't even sure whether she was breathing or not. Everything seemed too still, too quiet.

As if possessed by the treasure in front of him, the murderer was completely oblivious to her existence, and the instant before his hand closed over the box, Sakura unsheathed her sword and, in one fluid motion, sliced diagonally down his back. She blinked as warm, red liquid sprayed all over her front. The breathing was back and her blood was no longer still, it was racing far too quickly. A blood-curling yell resounded through the air.

All this happened in one instant, and before she realized it in the next, Gaoran's hand was on his sword and he was turning around, poised to attack - had her cut had been too shallow? Sakura's mouth opened wide as she watched in slow motion the flash of her enemy's metal blade swing in her direction, blindly as Gaoran was still facing for the most part forward. It was strange, how she could see everything moving so clearly, despite the flurry and panic of the moment. Her own sword was still lodged into his back, and she realized with a sick lurch that her attack hadn't been shallow at all – and yet he was still moving…

The blade was just inches from her faces now, and swinging down _far too fast_ for her to even react. All that Sakura could do was watch with wide open eyes as a sword she recognized from six months ago swung down at her, eerily much in the same fashion it had when he'd tried to kill her before.

And then there was a loud thud, and Sakura realized that something had hit Gaoran, and he was falling forward – but his sword was still crashing down towards _her_ – and then something heavy hit her from the side, ramming her into the wall at the left.

It took a full three minutes for the ceiling to stop spinning. When her world finally leveled out, however, Sakura became aware that an all-too familiar voice was repeatedly shouting her name.

"Sakura!"

"Sakura!"

"Sakura!'

"_Sakura!_"

Sakura took one look at the unconscious Gaoran lying facedown on the other side of the room and immediately sprang into action. Shoving Syaoran to the side, she grabbed the hilt of her sword, pulling it roughly from Gaoran's back, once again spraying herself in a mist of blood.

Not bothering to pause, she lifted it high in the air, and then swung down hard, fully intending to take his head off and complete her revenge. Sakura's head was pounding and her emerald eyes wide with frenzied excitement. She was going to avenge her parents' deaths.

"Sakura **STOP**!!" Syaoran hollered from his position on the ground.

And she did. _Why _she did was a complete mystery to Sakura, who stood there, trembling and torn. Her blade was a mere three inches – _three inches_ from piercing that blasted murderer's neck and sending him forever into the pits of hell where he belonged.

That was right, Sakura repeated to herself mentally. He deserved it.

Her arms shook, but they began to once again move lower until the metal of the sword touched his neck…

"Sakura! Listen to me calmly," Syaoran said, holding out his arms and keeping a safe distance from her so that she could see that he wasn't about to spring on her. "Sakura, I want you to sheathe your blade… and back away from Gaoran."

Sakura looked up at him in amazement, her weapon still resting shakily on the back of his brother's windpipe. "And what makes you even _imagine_ that I would listen to you? I-" She sucked in an uneven breath. "I'm a traitorous bitch who used you, remember? You're out of your mind."

Why did her chest feel so heavy? Why was she hesitating?! This was it! This was the man who had ruined her family, who had turned her into a liar, and who deserved to die! She was **not **supposed to be wavering now just because some boy she loved was here, begging her to stop!

Amber eyes softened imploringly. "Sakura…"

To both of their utter surprises, with his arms still held out, the proud heir of the Li Clan, a boy and man reputed for his high rank, undefeatable skill, and arrogance, got down onto his knees. Sakura's mouth was hanging open. "W-What," she sputtered. "Are you – what do you think you're _doing_ Li Syaoran?! Get back on your feet!! D-Don't kneel! What on earth– "

"Sakura," he said seriously, struggling to form the words. This was the ultimate form of humility, he couldn't bring himself any lower than this. The only person he would ever kneel for would be _her_, because he had to make her understand. "Sakura. I'm sorry. I know now. I love you."

"Please get on your feet. Don't kneel for me – for anyone! Syaoran-"

"Sakura."

The only daughter of the Kinomoto family stared with wide-open shocked eyes, unable to absorb what was happening. Her head turned slightly so that she was looking down at Gaoran's unconscious lump of a body before her gaze sprang back to the man on his knees in disbelief. "_What_?" she murmured softly, not understanding. "Y-You…" Then suddenly, it dawned upon her. Her expression hardened with unmistakable hurt and brokenness. "You're lying to me, aren't you? I won't be fooled, Syaoran. I know you meant every word you said that night you threw me out of the Academy."

"I _did_. I _did_ mean those words then, Sakura," he said, face full of regret. "But that was because I hadn't yet realized how _much_ I loved you yet. I'm so sorry – " The apologies were difficult to form, but it was time for him to swallow his pride. He pressed on – "I was lying to myself then, only I hadn't known. I'm sorry. I love you, I really do. I love you so much that-"

All the while, Sakura felt a flurry of panic rising within her. She didn't, _couldn't_ believe what he was saying. He'd already promised her the world once, and she had believed him. A part of her had already died when he'd snatched those vows away. She _couldn't_ believe him again, she just _couldn't_. And yet it was so hard for her to see him there, on his knees, probably for the first time in his life, and pouring out his heart – no, what she _wished_ was in his heart – to her. Tears sprang to her eyes and she interrupted him. "Y-You can keep talking, but just get back on your feet. Stop kneeling – you, you shouldn't be kneeling. It doesn't look right-"

"No!" Syaoran shouted with a vehemence that nearly made Sakura jump. It was a good thing she hadn't, because who knows how her sword would have moved, up or down. "No! I need to make you understand – you can't possibly comprehend…" He glowered at himself, struggling to find the words to express himself. "The past few weeks have been unbelievably painful," he said finally. "I've done everything in my power to completely push all thought of you from my mind. I've tried hating you, forgetting you, but in the end all I could think about was how much I missed you." His lips twitched into a reluctant smile. "I haven't been living since you left. My life feels so empty, so meaningless. I know you might not believe me, I wouldn't if I was in your position, but I'm asking – _begging _you to please give me another chance."

"Y-You…" Sakura inhaled shakily before shouting, the desperation clear in her voice. "You can't just come in here and say things like that! You can't just come in here, when I'm finally about to avenge my parents' deaths, and tell me to stop because you're sorry and you love me! You can't-!" Her eyes misted over with tears. "That's not fair! You can't do this to me! Y-You…" She choked, and swallowed painfully. She didn't know what to do.

"_Sakura_," Syaoran said gently. "Without you, my world has lost its color and its meaning. It's too late to wish we'd never met, but I hope it's not too late to want to be with you. _Please_, can you forgive me? I need you by my side. It's a place in my life only you can fill."

"STOP IT!" she screamed loudly, shaking her head back and forth furiously. "Stop it! Who the hell do you think you are?! Stop messing with my head! _This man_-" she jerked her head in Gaoran's direction, her eyes full of hate. "This man _**murdered **_both of my parents in front of my eyes. Do you think I could possibly let him go?! Stop feeding me your sweet words! Stop playing with my heart! This is all-" her voice broke and she trembled – "This is all I have left. I _have _to, Syaoran. If you're going to stop me, then kill me. How else could I ever face my parents in heaven?"

He gazed at her softly. "Sakura, I won't ask you to stop for me, I have long forfeited my right to ask that of you. But," his voice lowered gently, full of care and sincerity. "Neither your father and mother – if they truly love you – would ever want this kind of future for you. Revenge is a fruitless, thankless task. What your parents want for you is not retribution that would turn their daughter into a killer drowning in a world of tears and hatred, but happiness for you. You _know_ that."

"Stop talking as if you know what they-"

"Sakura," Syaoran said firmly, holding her gaze steadily in his. "Even if you kill him, what's going to be left? Only emptiness. Are you going to just stop living after you finish your revenge? Would that make your parents happy? Could you just abandon the people who love you so much – Daidouji-san, your brother, your friends… me? Murdering someone for revenge is not going to put you at peace – you won't even be able to sleep at night, Sakura."

Her bottom lip trembled, and Sakura's grip on her katana shook. She looked frantically down at Gaoran once again, unsure of what to do. "He _killed_ them Syaoran," she whispered, torn. "I heard the screams – saw their blood pooling on the floor." Wet tracks of tears began falling from her eyes. This was not supposed to be the way it was. She was supposed to avenge her family and redeem their honor. She wasn't supposed to be listening to someone like him, and yet… "Syaoran," she whimpered.

Heeding her unspoken plea, Syaoran got up slowly and went to her side, hesitantly wrapping his arms around her tenderly. Carefully, so as not to startle her, he reached out and took hold of her hand, leading it back so that her bloody sword was returned to its sheathe.

She was trembling again, he noted with a frown. Why did he always have to cause her such fear and uncertainty? In his heart he knew that he wasn't worthy of her, but it was too late, he needed her. "Are you willing to… have me again?" he asked lowly.

Sakura's shoulders dropped and she began sobbing. "I don't care anymore. I don't even care if you know how pathetic I am anymore. I can't say no to you Syaoran. It doesn't even matter if you're lying to me or anything – I just can't do this anymore. I can't even… even kill the man who murdered my father and mother!" She shook violently with the force of her cries.

He sighed. "That's not good enough." Taking her by the chin, he lifted her face up so that he was staring gently into her tear-stained face. "I want you… even if it's selfish, I want you to believe me. I want you to be happy, with me."

"I don't care anymore," she whispered brokenly. "Why did you have to come here? Why couldn't you just let me be?"

A low groan alerted Syaoran to their immediate surroundings. Expression grim, he released Sakura temporarily and went over to his brother's limp body, pulling a dart from his neck. "Sakura," he said in a low voice, taking her by the hand. "We should leave before he wakes. The medicine on the dart will only last a little while longer. We'll take a different path to avoid running into Dairan."

She followed behind him quietly, moving swiftly up the stairs as he pulled her after him. The fresh, cool air as they emerged from the underground cavern soothed both their skins, but when Sakura still remained pointedly silent, Syaoran sighed and pulled her to him.

"Sakura, look at me," he said softly.

This she would not do. Sakura felt her numbed panic begin to rise once again as he tilted her face upwards and forced her eyes to meet his. What she saw left her momentarily breathless.

He looked so _sad_… but no, that's not what seemed so strange…

A lump rose to her throat as she recognized what it was.

He looked like he _loved her_.

"I love you, Sakura," he whispered. "I'm sorry for pushing you away, for breaking your heart. If I could, I would take all those words I said to you that night… take them all back a thousand times, but I can't, and this is all I can do. This is all I have." He opened his arms, holding them out as if ready to embrace her. "Can you accept me once again, stubborn and blind fool that I am?"

Sakura felt something painful wrench from her chest… and then just disappear. She recognized the feeling. It was the same emotion that had warmed her all those weeks ago when he had finally _properly_ proposed to her. It was hope – and blind, stupid trust.

She wavered, emerald eyes squeezing shut with the struggle raging inside of her. Every inch of her wanted to just turn back time and return to the happy days the two of them were together, enjoying life with each other. The more rational side of her screamed its protest – are you really going to let yourself put your faith in him, allow yourself to _hope_ – what if it all comes crashing down your ears again?

She shuddered as the dark voice rambled on. The only reason you didn't throw yourself from a cliff after _he _betrayed _you_, no matter how much you deserved it, is simply because you still had vengeance to live for. Now what? What's left? He's taken even your blood thirst from you. The pieces of your heart are still fragments, not yet put together. If they break _again_, only God would ever be able to put its crushed bits of powder back together.

"Do you know," Syaoran began, shaking Sakura from her thoughts. She gazed up at him in cautious curiosity. He smiled at her. "There's a legend about this cherry blossom tree."

Her eyes shifted from his face to the Sakura tree, which was now in full, glorious bloom, and back to his face again.

"Legend states that if two people confess their love for each other at this tree on the night of the flower festival, their love will last for an eternity."

Taking her small, slightly bloodstained hands in his large, rough ones, Syaoran lifted them up and pressed a light kiss to the edge of her fingers. "Kinomoto Sakura – I love you. Before this cherry tree and before all the world I swear that I will love no one but you for the rest of my days and beyond," his voice was husky, yet reverberated with a intensity that shook Sakura to the core. "But only half the legend is completed with my promises. Sakura… do you love me?"

And with his words, all the pain, joy, happiness, frustration, and laughter – every moment she had ever spent with him or her family or her friends rushed back to her, and then Sakura knew. It was so difficult… and yet so obvious. Shyly, she slipped her hands from his, watching Syaoran's face drop as she did so, but then she reached up and took hold of his face with her two hands. Holding him still, she reached up on tiptoe and kissed him carefully, tenderly on the mouth. "I love you too, Syaoran."

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my GOSH!! Haha. Yeah, that's what's running through my mind at least. After finally putting this grueling, sappy, and irresistibly sweet scene on paper, my creative juices are completely spent. That's it for tonight folks, I'm off to bed.**

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hanamatsuri – flower festival

katana – Japanese blade

hai – yes

kenjutsu – sword fighting


	31. Back

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**By the time you're all reading this, I'll already be in Taiwan. I'm going to do my utmost to keep updating, but as I said before, don't expect too much. I was able to complete this chapter ahead of time, but taking care of the editing process while in another country… is rather tiring. I'm not sure what day is Friday either, so I hope you'll all just stay tuned. As I said before, reviews are wonderful bribes to keep me going. ;D**

**Yayy! Haha, after writing the last chapter I'm finally in a good mood. I'm happy that SxS are finally back together too! :D **

**Anyhow, I feel so much more relaxed now that it's summer. I hope you all do too. Things are so much easier knowing that there's no homework or tests the next day. **

**By the way, I'm looking for a BETA who will review all my previous chapters and pick out all the grammar mistakes I've made – I know there've been a lot. I've been getting complaints, haha. I apologize… I should probably take more time during editing, but it's difficult when I'm typing up at least twelve pages of story every week in order to keep the Friday deadline. Give me a pm or leave me a review, whichever, if you're willing! Or if you have any suggestions about a good BETA you might now, I'd be much obliged. ******

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Thirty One**

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When Sakura woke up that morning, it was to the sound of bird song and the smell of warm rice porridge. Emerald eyes blinked slowly several times before she finally sat up. Something felt strange – different yet familiar at the same time.

"I don't hear any servants," Sakura said out loud in realization. Was it still too early? Usually by now the workers in the Terada household would be up and about.

She looked around the room, confused. Had there always been a dresser in that corner? Her hands brushed the soft fabric of the futon she'd been laying in. Sakura started, looking down in surprise. This was silk, and it bore a pattern different from the one she usually slept in, but why...?

"_Kami-sama_…" Sakura sprang up from the bedding in surprise. This was her old room in the dojo. _Syaoran's_ dojo.

The smell of food was coming from the breakfast that had been left on a small platter next to the door. Sparing it only a quick glance, Sakura slid the shoji door open and walked out quickly, feeling strangely anxious. She'd been with him at the foyer of the dojo, and must have fallen asleep at one point or another. Had Syaoran carried her in? Where was he?

She checked the room across the hall, already half expecting it to be empty – it was. Sakura hugged herself around the shoulders, hating the ridiculous emotion that was welling up in her. But as stupid and pathetic as it was, she really wished Syaoran hadn't left her alone. It made her feel insecure.

"He's probably at his morning lessons already Sakura," she whispered to herself. "Just be patient." It was silly for her to expect him to still be there. What was wrong with her?

Turning, she walked quietly to the front of the dojo, her feet padding softly against the wooden floor. When she emerged from the inner building out onto the foyer, Sakura paused, shaking, just a little.

Emerald eyes dimmed. It was a wonder it hadn't bothered her last night. Now, even in the bright morning sun, on such a beautiful day, the area before her brought back bad memories. This was where he had first denied her, after all.

Sakura shook herself. What was the use of thinking about such things? She believed in him now, and he believed in her. He took her back. He loved her. A small smile crept onto her lips as she remembered their kiss on the Sakura Lake. Their love was as bittersweet as always. There was always some sacrifice involved.

Sitting down and enjoying the feel of the warm light on her skin, Sakura inhaled deeply and placed a hand over her heart. A contented sigh escaped her lips. It felt so _nice_ to be back here again, even if she was by herself. If possible, she wanted to remain in that peaceful, quiet mindset just a bit longer, free from her fears and concerns, but it was impossible to avoid thinking about her current uncertainties forever.

Syaoran loved her. This much she knew. After leaving the forest and sneaking past a paranoid Dairan who had just decided it was time to go search for his brother, they'd returned to the dojo and talked long into the night. There was so much to apologize for… to set right… to catch up on.

"But what am I going to do now?" she asked herself softly. To her dismay, Sakura felt a few stray tears trickle down her cheeks. Horrified, she wiped them away furiously. She'd already promised to give up on her revenge. Somewhere, deep down inside, Sakura had always known that her parents in heaven could probably care less about killing Gaoran. _She_ was the one who had needed to direct her sadness, her loneliness, and her hatred towards _something_. But now that she'd finally let it go, now that she'd finally let the anger and the fury die, what was there left for her to do?

As much as she wanted to stay, she couldn't possibly do so forever. What about Touya? Would he ever be able to forgive her? Her parents –

An image of Kinomoto Fujitaka and Nadeshiko lying facedown on the floor, covered in blood flashed through her head. Sakura's hand squeezed into a fist.

Hate – had she _really_ let it go? Her need for vengeance was gone, but what of the burn of hate within her chest? Would it fade with time? Would it ever disappear?

Sakura searched herself for the answer. She didn't know. For now, at least, she would try not hate the two of them. It was impossible for her to hold any good feelings toward them, though. Half of her family had died by Gaoran's hand – but she loved Syaoran more. What the future held, she would just have to see.

Standing suddenly, Sakura turned and went back to her room, retrieving from it two swords, the white blade Clow had forged, and her own, still bloody katana. When she was once again in the courtyard in front of the dojo, Sakura unsheathed her sword and placed in onto the ground. Drawing Clow's blade, she stared at its inscription. "For love and for mercy. There's no better blade to end my vengeance with than this," she said quietly before raising it high into the air, and bringing it down hard onto her old sword.

The katana Sakura had used since she was a child had been forged by one of the best smiths in the South, and it was by no means weak or flimsy, yet Clow's sword, as if sensing her need, cut straight through it easily, breaking the blade cleanly in half.

She stared at her broken sword and past silently, her grip on Clow's katana tight. It felt so right in her hand, and it had helped her destroy the bloody blade in front of her, the sword that had for so long desired that murderer's blood. "I wonder if I'm not meant to use you after all," Sakura said to the shining, silvery katana. "You seem to be made for me, even more than _that_ one was, and it really _was_ made for me."

And yet, she still felt a certain sense of loss as her gaze returned to her old sword. Picking up the pieces of blade, Sakura slid them back into their old sheathe.

"Sakura," a deep voice like crushed velvet whispered right next to her ear.

She whirled around in surprise, and upon seeing Syaoran, threw her arms around him with an almost desperate sort of relief. "Syaoran!" she gasped, surprised with herself at how glad she was to see him. "Oh you surprised me! Why did you have to sneak up on me?"

He looked startled too, but pulled her into a warm embrace all the same. "What's this?" he teased gently. "I understand how overpowering my presence can be, but I hadn't thought you'd miss me this much."

She squeezed him tighter around the middle.

Syaoran chuckled. "What were you doing?" he asked, prying her arms off of him and taking her hand, leading her back towards the dojo. "Not that I mind you being up and about, but if someone sees you before I come up with a story…"

At this, Sakura handed him the white Clow sword quietly. "I borrowed this to break my old sword. Here."

"You broke your sword?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm cutting ties with my revenge. This was the best way to do it, especially while the blade was still covered with his dried blood. I won't go back to that anymore."

He squeezed her hand. "Here," Syaoran said, pressing the sword back into her hand. "Will you wait for me in the training hall? I'll be there in a moment."

"The training hall?"

When he returned, Sakura realized that he was holding the black Clow sword. He had been keeping it in his room. Then it hit her that he couldn't carry such a flashy sword around the Academy without attracting unwanted attention. "If you wanted to," she told him. "You could just wrap cloth around your sheathe to hide its markings..." She hesitated before asking, "Were you ever able to fix your old katana?" His old sword was still strapped to his side.

"Oh, this? This is merely for… decoration, I suppose. I usually carry two with me, and use the whole one," he answered stoically. "Anyhow, draw your blade."

She started. "My broken one?"

"Of course not," he said, walking over to her side and unsheathing his Clow blade. "We're going to practice."

She smiled slightly. Well if it was just for practice, then she wasn't really _using_ the sword. Pulling it from its ivory white case, Sakura lifted it into the air in front of her and whispered, "The first dance."

As she and Syaoran began moving in their deadly pas de deux around the training hall, Sakura felt a familiar rush of excitement rise through her veins. She had missed this, and somehow, it felt even _better_ than before.

"These swords were made for this dance," her partner answered, as if reading her thoughts. "How does the new balance feel to you?"

Sakura completed a series of complicated steps and slashed the shining katana through the air in a large, powerful pattern. "It feels amazing," she breathed, awed. Syaoran chuckled.

They completed their dance up until the sixth step, but after that, Sakura was unable to go any further. She hadn't practiced her swordplay or trained her stamina in too long to keep up for so large a span of time. Panting, she sank to the ground, sweat sliding down her face in droplets.

"You're out of practice," Syaoran noted, going over to her side and helping her up.

"Well, it was a bit difficult finding time to train while I was with Terada-sensei and Rika-chan. I was supposed to still be playing the part of your runaway fiancée then," she retorted a bit scathingly. "Oh!" – she jumped out of his grip in surprise – "I haven't said a word to Rika-chan! She must be worried sick!"

Sighing, Syaoran shook his head. "I sent a message to Terada-sensei in the morning, since I figured they might be concerned about you. I'm sure that your friend, his wife, would probably want to meet you though, to make sure that I'm not 'mistreating' you."

Sakura blushed. "Well… you weren't very _nice_ when I 'left', and it was just an easier story to spin than if you and I _hadn't_ been fighting, so…"

He shrugged. "The lunch period is over, so I need to return to the classes soon. Why don't you take a bath? You appear a bit less than presentable at the moment."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Your opinion is _appreciated_," she snorted sarcastically.

"I left you a kimono in your room," he said as he left. "Be careful while you're out visiting though. Some people might still recognize you. And Sakura" – she looked up – "You probably ought to give some thought to what you want to do now. I'll stand by you whether you want to return to being Tsukishiro Sakura, Kino Kura, or even remain as Kinomoto Sakura."

"Wait!" she called, rushing over to hand him the sword. "This isn't-"

"You keep it," he responded immediately.

"But this blade – I'm not the one who is _supposed _to use it," Sakura said, frustrated. "Didn't you read the hanging scroll in that cave? This belongs to some _hero_, which I most certainly am not."

Syaoran merely turned and continued out the door. "Then hold onto it for now. We'll get you a new sword later, but until then _you_ can take care of Clow's blade. You'll need it for tonight, at the very least. There's something important we need to do."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but he was already far down the hall. She sighed and looked down at the legendary sword in her hands. It was so beautiful, and it seemed to fit so _perfectly _in her hands, but it wasn't meant for her. In fact, she felt a little bit as if she was sullying it just by practicing with the sword.

Taking it, she went to her room and wrapped a plain, white strip of cloth around the sheathe several times, masking some of the sword's magnificence. If she was to take it around with her in the Academy, then she would have to do this at the very least.

Standing, Sakura's emerald eyes fell on a small, brown package next to her door where her cooled breakfast was. She made a face. Syaoran was would probably be mad at her for not eating it. Going over, she opened the parcel slowly, and gave a gasp of delight when she saw what was in it.

She had known that it was a kimono. What she hadn't known was how _beautiful_ it was. When in the world had he had the time to buy something like this for her? Her fingers glided softly over the smooth silk. It was a beautiful pale pink with a large, blooming nadeshiko flower at the bottom right. The obi was a darker shade of burgundy. What shocked her the most, however, was the small mark on the left sleeve. Towards the end where her hand would peek out from the fabric, there was the small yet unmistakable symbol of the Li Clan.

"Mou! That Syaoran! Now I'm going to have to keep the sleeve all bunched up to hide the mark," she complained, but there was a happy smile on her face. They hadn't talked about the situation with their engagement yet, but that he had had the Li Clan symbol sewn onto her kimono meant that the idea wasn't out of the question at least.

Not for the first time, Sakura was grateful that Syaoran's dojo had a small, private bathhouse attached to it. After soaking her sore muscles in its hot, blissful waters, she dressed into her new clothes quickly, and made her way over to Terada-sensei's home.

"Rika-chan?" Sakura called hesitantly, sliding the front door open slightly. Was she still allowed to enter as always? Technically she hadn't _officially _moved out, or at least she hadn't said anything yet.

Strangely enough, there seemed to be no one there. "Where has everyone gone?" Sakura wondered aloud. "I'm coming in…" She stepped into the building and walked down the hall, keeping an eye out for the masters of the household. At the sound of muffled shouting, Sakura jumped. That was Rika's voice! Why was she yelling?

_"I'm _telling _you that I don't trust that Li boy-"_

Sakura knocked quickly next to the door, and the voices ceased. _"Come in,"_ Terada-sensei said calmly from inside the room. Nervously, she slid the door open.

"Sakura-chan!" Rika gasped, getting up and rushing over to her friend. "Are you okay? That boy didn't do anything to you? What's going on?!"

"Rika-san, please bring Kinomoto-san into the room and shut the door."

All traces of irritation with her husband gone, the relieved brunette obeyed and went to get a zabuton for Sakura to sit on as well. The emerald-eyed girl sank onto the cushion quietly, blushing. "I'm sorry for the… inconvenience." She hadn't meant to make the couple argue.

"Oh, you _should_ be sorry," Rika scolded half-heartedly. Sakura couldn't help but grin. "You owe us an explanation."

After a few seconds of wringing her hands nervously, Sakura decided to tell them what her true motives had been. Starting with her parents' murder and then finally about how Syaoran convinced her to give up (the details she kept vague), Sakura told them almost the entire truth.

Rika was properly horrified, and Sakura was certain her former riding instructor was too, but the expression on his face was merely one of contemplation. While his wife was still speechless, he crossed his arms and said, "You were also Kino Kura, weren't you?"

She was startled, but slowly, Sakura nodded. "I'm sorry for… lying," she apologized in a small voice. "I really didn't want to deceive everyone, but I just didn't know what to do."

He sighed while Rika's mouth dropped open in uncharacteristic shock. "I don't see why I hadn't realized it before, especially after being rescued by you from the bear," Terada-sensei chuckled. "I must say you've completely blown me away, Kinomoto-san. To think that a girl as young as you was able to not only keep up with all the other boys who'd been at the Academy for years, but to progress so far as to be in very near danger of being promoted to first rank."

Her face flamed with disbelief and delight.

"What do you plan on doing now?" Rika asked, concern evident in her voice. "I cannot even believe that Kinomoto-sama has died… are you quite sure you're okay? I hadn't even heard about it…"

Sakura's smile was strained. "I'm not entirely sure… for the time being I intend on keeping a low profile in Syaoran's dojo."

"You could always enroll into the Daidouji Institute under your other name, Tsukishiro Sakura," her friend suggested.

The auburn-haired girl cursed her cheeks' affinity for blushing. "Well, the girls are going to be returning to their school soon, and I'd rather stay here near Syaoran. He's the only reason I'm in the North now, after all."

"I was about to suggest returning to the Academy as Kino Kura," Terada-sensei said with a knowing grin. "But if your primary goal is becoming Li-kun's bride, then I'm afraid that would put you in a rather difficult position, wouldn't it? The boys do miss you though."

At this, Sakura's face fell slightly. "I miss them too," she admitted. "But I doubt they're very pleased with my abrupt disappearance. Perhaps it's simply better to let it remain that way. I don't really have any right to be their friend anyways. I am, after all, a female."

"A female who worked twice as hard as everyone else to fit in, and succeeded," he said kindly. "But if that is how you feel, then do not feel pressured to do anything you'd rather not."

"Well, even if you are keeping a low profile, I see no reason for you to go into hiding. Tsukishiro Sakura is not in disgrace or anything, why don't you go to tomorrow night's farewell party for the Daidouji students?"

"Farewell party?"

"The hanamatsuri has ended, after all. Hiiragizawa-kun and his lady friend won the best couple award, and the Academy's individual rankings have all been established. It's about time we returned to our regular schedules," Terada-sensei explained.

Sakura felt her jaw drop. "The day after tomorrow?! I," she stood quickly. "I have to go speak to Tomoyo-chan."

The Terada couple stood, both of them smiling.

She bowed. "Thank you so much for all of your help. I'm so sorry for all the trouble I've caused you."

"No, no silly. We are friends, after all. And the one who is grateful is I. You saved Yoshiyuki-san's life from that bear. I won't forget that, nor how you helped me when the two of us decided to elope."

"That you two were anywhere near that bear was my fault too," Sakura reminded them with a small smile. "I'll be back to visit again soon."

"Please do," the riding instructor said. "And if possible, write a letter to your classmates. It'll leave them feeling less… lonely."

"Or abandoned," Sakura said gloomily under her breath. "Some other day then."

"Tomorrow!" Rika called as she left. "At the farewell party!"

--

Syaoran had probably mentioned something to either Eriol or Tomoyo, because her friend had obviously been waiting for her. Even before she lifted her hand to knock, the door slid open and a pair of arms pulled her into a hug. "Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo cried, embracing her friend tightly. "I cannot _believe _you not only left without a single word to me, but _came back_ and still kept silent! Hurry up and come in while I decide on a proper punishment for you!"

Sakura followed her cousin and best friend into her residence a bit hesitantly, looking around to see if anyone else was there, one Chinese girl in particular.

"Mei Ling-chan isn't here," she said knowingly. "But it'd be nice if you could have a proper conversation with her sometime. She's really just very… concerned for Syaoran."

Sakura sighed, "Yes I suppose. I wonder if I'll be able to before you all leave."

"Yes," Tomoyo agreed a bit gloomily. "It does seem too soon, but Eriol-san said that-"

"Oh?" the daughter of the Kinomoto family interrupted in a teasing tone. "No 'I'm going to miss Sakura-chan'? I believe I heard that a _certain couple_ won a certain prize last night at the hanamatsuri."

Her friend blushed brightly. "T-That was…"

"A wonderful evening for you, right?" she laughed. "Have you heard about this legend-"

"Sakura-chan!"

The two of them burst into giggles. "It feels really good to talk to you again, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura admitted. "I'm sorry for keeping so many secrets from you… I was just so preoccupied with revenge and such that I…" she trailed off, but Tomoyo nodded understandingly. Sakura smiled. "Has he properly asked to court you yet?"

"A-About that…"

Sakura stared. She'd never heard Tomoyo stutter so much before in her life. "What happened?" she asked eagerly.

"Eriol-san is… asking my mother tomorrow for permission to marry me," the Daidouji heiress blurted out, red in the face.

Her friend was speechless. "Y-Y-You are getting _married_?!" Sakura stuttered, hardly able to contain her excitement. "And to _Eriol_-san?!"

Tomoyo pouted. "Well, I don't see why you're so surprised… _you_ are going to marry Li-kun someday aren't you?"

"Congratulations!!" Sakura shrieked, pouncing on the beautiful girl excitedly. "Tell me – everything! How did he propose? When?"

She giggled. "He asked me two nights ago, the day before the hanamatsuri. And well, he was very sweet, but Eriol-san said that he wanted to keep the surprises for until after he's asked Okaa-sama for permission."

"Oh," Sakura sighed, leaning back in disappointment. "I really thought Eriol-san would be much more of a romantic" – at this, Tomoyo's face turned an interesting shade of pink, but Sakura decided to let it go – "But did you two honestly have to wait until the farewell party to ask Oba-sama? You're going back to the Daidouji Institute so soon…"

At the mentioning of the farewell party, Tomoyo jumped to her feet and clapped her hands. "That's it!" she cried cheerfully.

"What's it?" she asked, not following.

"Your punishment – you're attending the hanami and farewell party tomorrow!"

Sakura sighed. "There's a hanami _too_?" Now that she was no longer Kino Kura, attending parties and events seemed much less dreadful than before, but they were still a bit risky. This time, however, she would take her chances, seeing as it was her last chance to spend time with Tomoyo.

Their conversation proceeded in much of the same fashion for another good two hours. It wasn't until after they'd discussed Sakura's new kimono, the clothes and disguise she'd be wearing tomorrow, and even glossed over Tomoyo's wedding plans that the amethyst-eyed beauty remembered to ask what exactly Sakura had been doing for the past few weeks. While bits and parts of it she had heard from Eriol, who had spoken shortly to Syaoran a little while ago, Sakura was forced to recount all her adventures in a small, uncertain voice.

"Oh… Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo cried at the end of it, pulling her friend into another hug. "I'm so, _so _sorry about all the awful things you've been through… and I'm so glad that you're finally beginning to move on."

Sakura smiled weakly in response, and then blushed furiously when she added, "And Li-kun is good to you too."

A loud, low ring surprised the both of them. "That's the dinner gong!" Sakura groaned. "I was planning on talking to Yukito-san… but Syaoran said that there was something we needed to take care of tonight."

"Tsukishiro-san isn't going to disappear any time soon," Tomoyo said, smiling. "Why don't you just go see him tomorrow? Here, take this with you back to the dojo." She handed her a black, wooden box with golden embossed designs all over it. "Use this for your makeup. I'll be over tomorrow morning to help you out, but you keep this for the future. I'm going to be leaving soon, after all."

"Oh… Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura squeezed her friend's hand tightly. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"Don't worry," the Daidouji heiress laughed. "You might be seeing me again sooner than you think."

"That all depends on wedding date right?" Sakura winked, standing up. "Alright, I need to go now, but I'll be at the hanami and farewell party tomorrow."

She walked very swiftly back to the dojo, and Syaoran was already there, waiting for her when she arrived.

"Have fun?" he asked wryly, staring at the makeup box in her hands.

She flushed. "Stop teasing me, I'll be back out in a minute. Just let me put this inside." Going into the dojo, Sakura placed Tomoyo's gift on the table and grabbed Clow's sword.

"Is it alright for me to remain in the kimono?" Sakura asked as she ran back outside. "It's not as constricting as most, but I still can't maneuver very well in it."

"That's fine. I'm sure the person we're going to be visiting would like seeing you in a kimono better anyways. It might make him a bit more peaceable," Syaoran said, smiling and giving her his hand. "Can you run?"

She took it and the two of them moved swiftly over the Academy grounds, towards the older section of buildings. "Who are we going to see?" she asked. "Why do I have to bring a katana?"

"The swords are just a precaution. Even if you spared his life, Gaoran was still severely wounded. I went to see my two brothers today. Neither of them saw your face, and they're both on the defensive. I doubt that Dairan would be brave enough to guard his prisoner and leave Gaoran alone, but they might have posted some fighters or servants there as a precaution. It is unlikely, though."

"Prisoner?" Sakura asked, her heart dropping. "Who is it?"

He looked over at her grimly. "Your brother."

"Onii-chan!" she gasped. "He must have come back here looking for me when I ran away… why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

Syaoran's hand tightened around hers. "Don't worry. He's still safe, even if only a little bit beat up. We're heading over to Yukito-san's chambers after this. There's something all of us need to discuss together. Let's hurry."

He picked up the pace, and Sakura was only too happy to comply. Her brother had been kept a prisoner in the Academy… and she hadn't even known! They stopped in front of a small building, which looked as if it had been once been a stable. Swiftly pulling a key out of his sleeve, Syaoran unlocked it and slid the door open. "I'll go in first, just in case," he told her.

Sakura let out a growl of impatience but nodded, motioning for him to hurry. After a few seconds, Syaoran called back, "Come in."

When she ran into the stable, Touya was already standing, and he immediately went over and pulled his younger sister into a tight hug. "You stupid kaijuu," he grumbled, pulling her closer. "You're such a troublesome imouto."

"Gomen onii-chan!" she whispered, hugging back. "I'm so sorry!"

"I'm afraid we have to go now. Any later and the students might start wandering around. I don't want to take any chances," the Li heir said.

Straightening, Touya fixed Syaoran with a calculating stare before nodding. "To Yuki's place then?"

The three of them filed out of the stable quickly, but when he moved, Sakura heard something metal clinking, and her emerald eyes caught sight of what looked like a chain before Syaoran hid it swiftly. Casting a quick glance back at the place her brother had been, she noticed that there were two dark strips of cloth lying on the floor, and one of them was all twisted and looked as if it had been bitten upon repeatedly. She realized with a shiver that that had probably been the reason he had gone in before her. Syaoran hadn't wanted her to see her brother bound and gagged.

When they got to Yukito-san's place, the door was already open and a nervous kenjutsu instructor was already at the front, pacing. When he saw them arrive, he ran out the meet them and ushered them into his house quickly. "Get in, get in… I'm so glad you're safe Touya, Sakura-chan."

To Sakura's surprise, Eriol was there, as well as Yue. She took two steps back and hid slightly behind Syaoran instinctively. Silvery eyes locked onto her immediately. "Kino-kun… or should I say, Sakura-san?" the head teacher said coolly.

The only female in the room stiffened before bowing quickly. "Yue… sensei… konbanwa…" she answered nervously. "I'm – um, very sorry for… umm…"

"Cease your stammering and sit. We have much to discuss," he told her, but not unkindly. Relieved, Sakura sat between Syaoran and Touya, the latter of whom who was gazing at all save Eriol, Yukito, and his precious little sister with something akin to cautious distrust.

"Please be at ease, Touya," Yukito said, smiling. "We're all… friends" – Touya glared in Syaoran's direction – "or maybe I should say _allies_ here. We're here to discuss the civil war situation. Li-kun says he can finally confirm what we've been suspicious of for a while now. Li-kun?"

Sakura looked over at him in surprise. What was going on? Next to her, he shifted slightly, and though his face revealed nothing, she could tell that he was uncomfortable.

"As you are all aware, two members of the Li household have been under suspicion for sometime now for the orchestration of the war between the North and the South," he began, and emerald eyes widened with every word he spoke. "We have had theories and misgivings up until this point, but a few days ago Gaoran spoke with me about certain issues alluding to his prospective usurpation of power, and this morning he confirmed it. Since you now have my witness, we can begin fully cracking down upon their operation, and I propose that we begin with obtaining concrete proof first."

Yue frowned. "Explain," he said.

"If I can bring solid evidence of their… betrayal to my mother," the Li heir explained. "Then we will have the support of the Academy, or most of it, at least."

Sakura could hardly believe what she was hearing, and she stared up at Syaoran in shock. This –_this_ was the man who had begged her not to kill his brother? What were they _doing_ here then?!

"I propose we start with finding exactly where Gaoran and Dairan keep their headquarters. I've had my spies tailing them since the beginning of the challenges, and neither of them leave the Academy often enough to warrant any suspicion," Eriol said seriously. "They must have a contact who can frequently exit and enter the Academy without catching anyone's attention, because the raids on the North have not stopped."

"And what about on the South?" Touya asked.

The young spymaster shook his head apologetically. "I haven't received new back from the men I sent down there yet. You were my main contact, Touya, and you've been here. I assume that the situation down there is very much the same though."

There was a brief silence. "Can we leave it to you then, Syaoran?" Eriol asked.

Syaoran crossed his arms and nodded slowly. "Gaoran has recently been… injured" – Sakura's gaze dropped to her lap, pointedly away from Touya's stare, but the man next to her continued on steadily, not mentioning her name –"and so I believe the both of them will be all the more eager for my… assistance. There is a certain boy I want you to speak to though, Eriol. His name is Itomura. He's the horse boy for one of my brother's more selective regiments. He might be able to provide you with more information regarding their troops."

"Then that leaves the issue of concrete proof, doesn't it?" Yukito said contemplatively. "It would be much easier to find their headquarters if we have Yelan-sama's support _first_, but seeing as the two of them are very cautious…"

"We will likely only be able to find evidence even close to incriminating at their meeting place," Yue finished with a frown. "We'll have to wait for Li to extract the information from either Gaoran or Dairan then."

Suddenly, it hit Sakura. She should've been more suspicious of this sooner. "Ano…" she started, hesitant.

They all turned towards her, and Sakura felt incredibly nervous all of a sudden. "Sakura," Syaoran prompted in a low voice.

"I think… the old library," she said. "I overheard them once, speaking together in the old library. I remember Syaoran mentioning a few times how it contains many hidden rooms and such, and it's located in an extremely deserted section of the Academy."

"Dairan has been there frequently within the past month," the Li heir said, as if realizing something. "It would be a very possible location for a rendezvous indeed."

Sakura bit her lip. "I think it's worth checking out first, before having Syaoran ask his brothers more about their plans. I wasn't aware of this… situation before today, but if everything you're all saying is true, then the ones who locked up Onii-chan were probably Gaoran and Dairan too. They'll probably be suspicious of Syaoran already, since they told him about Onii-chan themselves. It's dangerous if he suddenly becomes too curious, I think."

Next to her, Syaoran smiled slightly. "You don't need to worry so much, Sakura. I took the chains and lock with me, so that they wouldn't know whether they had been cut off or if they had been opened with a key."

"I think it's worth investigating first as well," Eriol said with a grin. "It would be best if our trump card wasn't put in too compromised a situation so early in the game."

"May I ask," Sakura said. "Why we are exercising such caution? There are only… two of them."

"They are the two heads of the operation, perhaps," Touya explained. "But they have legions of men under them."

"I believe that most of the men from the Li family are loyal to my mother, but there are still those remnants of my father's former family to be reckoned with. Not only that, but they are two very high-ranking nobles of the North. I don't even want to think how ugly the situation can become if we do not have enough proof on our side," Syaoran sighed.

Yukito smiled at her, "There is the hierarchy and the other aristocrats to consider, after all, but it was a very good question. I'm sure that we probably _could_ just have the two of them assassinated, but the repercussions could be severe."

Sakura blushed, but all of them, even Yue, did not act as if her question had been a foolish one. They proceeded without pause. The discussion lasted long into the night, but by listening to everything they were saying, the last female of the Kinomoto family was beginning to piece together all the blanks. As she and Syaoran left Yukito-san's house (they'd decided that leaving one or two at a time with decent time gaps in between was more prudent and less attention catching), Sakura couldn't help but giggle as she heard Touya's angry growl.

"Touch her, _look at her_ in the wrong way and I'll skin you alive as soon as we're done with your brothers, gaki!" he yelled from inside.

"Come on," Syaoran said, taking her hand gently. Her smile disappeared slightly when she saw that he wasn't smiling.

"Can I ask," she began in a small voice. "Why you stopped me from finishing Gaoran off last night if you suspected them of… was it because it would ruin Eriol-san's plans or…?"

He sighed, and Sakura was alarmed to see how tired he looked. "Syaoran?" she asked.

He gave her a small smile. "Even if Gaoran were the devil himself, I would have asked you to stop. Not for me, but for you. Murder and revenge, when put together, do not lead to happiness."

Sakura squeezed his hand. "Arigatou," she said. "But that's not what I meant exactly. I want to know…" she tugged his arm so that the two of them had stopped walking. "Are you okay? I know you dislike the both of them greatly, but… they're still your brothers, right?"

"It's because they're my brothers," Syaoran said seriously, looking forward with a steely determination. "That I'll put an end to this myself. As the future head of the Li Clan, I'm responsible for all their actions."

His expression was strained, and it hurt Sakura to see him in such pain. "You're not like them, you know," she told him softly. "You're you."

"How is it you can always see so clearly what I'm thinking?" he asked her, smiling down at her, but only for a second. "But that's where you're wrong. I'm so similar to them that it frightens me. The way we think, our strengths, our weaknesses, even our ambitions coalesce. No wonder Gaoran believes so strongly that I will join their side."

"But you're _not_," she said with emphasis. "You _choose_ to do the right thing, and that's where you are different. You cannot choose where you come from, but you can choose the life before you. You're _different_. Plus," she added with a smile. "You have me."

He lifted her hand, which was enveloped in his, and kissed her fingertips softly. "So I do."

"You're not them," Sakura persisted, eyes full of feeling. "You're kind, even if you hide it much of the time. You're kinder than anyone I know."

"Stop with the flattery," he said, ruffling her hair slightly before taking her face in his hands and leaning in. "You make me smile too much."

"I like it when you smile," she whispered in response, and shut her eyes as he pressed he kissed her.

"I knew it! GAKI! Get your hands off of my sister before-"

They both sprung apart, Sakura red in the face and Syaoran with irritation, both ready to yell something in return, but they stopped when Yukito and Eriol reached out of the building and dragged an irate head of the Kinomoto family back inside.

"Don't mind him!" Eriol called cheerfully. "Please feel free to continue!"

Sakura groaned, wondering exactly how much hotter her cheeks could become.

--

**Tsuzuku...**

--

**Haha. We're almost there! Can you all see the basic frame of our ending now? The finish line is just around the corner, which is a very good thing considering this is already chapter THIRTY ONE! Goodness, I ramble on way too much for my own good.**

**I hope you all found this chapter pleasing. As I said, I'm still looking for BETAs who're willing to look over my previous chapters, so please pm me if you're interested. And above all…**

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Oba-sama – honored aunt

Okaa-sama – honored mother

Onii-chan – older brother

Ano – um

Arigatou – thank you


	32. The Old Library

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Taiwan is absolutely amazing. To those of you who have never been there, whether you speak Chinese or Taiwanese or not, I seriously recommend that you all go. The food is GLORIOUS, and the kids are awesome. I'm having a blast, and you know what - I'm really way to busy to be updating. :D I'm up late every night working on lesson plans, and you know, I really think I deserve some reviews for this chapter. ;D**

**Enjoy!**

--

**Inscribed in the Blade**

--

**Chapter Thirty Two**

--

Sakura wasn't sure why her face was so pink or why she felt so nervous. Maybe it was because this was her first time attending a public event as a female, formally as Syaoran's fiancée. Certainly, she wanted to make a good impression, but even more so she wanted to impress him. Sakura fidgeted slightly, and pushed to the side her styled side bangs. Tomoyo had come very early in the morning to get her ready, and had even cut her hair so that she looked more feminine, not that it mattered much since she'd be wearing a wig, but her amethyst-eyed friend had insisted, saying that there was no point in remaining so manly when she was free to be a girl once again.

"Don't worry. You look lovely, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo whispered, winking knowingly at her.

She flushed. "Why am _I _the one who's nervous? You're the one getting engaged tonight!" Sakura groaned with frustration.

"Hey… isn't that Tsukishiro Sakura-san?" someone murmured.

"… it is!"

"I thought she'd returned home… didn't they have a fight or something?"

"She's so odd, isn't she? Coming and going without being announced ahead of time."

"I suppose she's here to meet the family, now that all the Li daughters are back."

"If you have something to say," Tomoyo said in a clear, elegant voice. "Then please do not whisper amongst yourselves like common children who know no better. Sakura-chan is right here. If you have questions to ask her, then by all means, ask."

The murmurs ceased abruptly and Sakura sighed. "Tomoyo-chan, what do they mean 'meet the family?'" she asked.

"Don't you even know _that_ much?" a smooth, cultured voice interrupted them. The daughter of the Kinomoto family jumped when she realized that it was Mei Ling. The Chinese beauty strolled proudly over, meeting Sakura's emerald eyes with her own dark ones evenly. "Syaoran's sisters have all returned home from the eldest, Fuutie's, engagement ceremony in China. They're here today for the flower viewing and party."

"Konnichiwa," Sakura said quickly, bowing. "It has been… a while, Mei Ling-san."

"Sakura-san," she nodded slightly.

Then followed the awkward silence. Sakura couldn't bear to look her in the face, and yet she couldn't quite bring herself to look away either. "Um.. M-Mei Ling-san," she began, but was interrupted by a series of high-pitched squeals.

"It's Sakura-chan!" a female voice chirped excitedly.

"Sakura-chan! Where?!"

"Oh my gosh, she is so _cute_!"

Before she could understand what was happening, Sakura was suddenly surrounded by four, extremely beautiful girls, all of them giggling and petting her.

"H-Hai?" Sakura stuttered, blushing furiously. Who were these people?

"If you would please not suffocate my fiancée without even properly introducing yourselves," a deep, velvety voice broke in. Syaoran appeared, scowling at his overly excited siblings.

"Sisters?" she breathed shakily, staring at the females around her in wonder. "All of you are?"

Feimei smiled brightly. "That's right, and we've heard _so much_ about you from our mother! She seems to have taken a special liking to you, Sakura-chan!"

"I-Is that so? I'm honored…" she stammered, nervously looking towards Mei Ling who seemed unfazed by all this.

"Fuutie," Mei Ling turned to the eldest sister. "It's been a long time."

"That it has, Mei Ling-chan," the brunette said with a smile. "You look well."

As the girls began to chatter with Mei Ling, Syaoran strode over with a sigh. "I apologize for my sisters' exuberance. It simply means they like you," he said to her. Leaning a bit closer, he whispered into her ear, "And you look lovely today."

Sakura flushed. "Thank you," she murmured. She had better look lovely… three hours spent on simply getting ready for a hanami… Tomoyo was even more focused than usual, probably because it would be her last chance to dress Sakura up for a while.

"Oh my goodness, did you see that? Syaoran was just… lovey-dovey! Oh my goodness, Fanren, did you _see_ that?!" Shiefa squealed. "I thought I'd never see the day."

Syaoran scowled. "That's quite enough, _sisters_. This is a hanami, aren't you supposed to be viewing the _flowers_?"

Sakura smiled and nodded. "The Sakura forest is gorgeous," she said, staring at the pink blossoms excitedly. "I've never seen so many cherry blossom trees in bloom at once before. It's amazing."

"Indeed, our forest is rather rare, isn't it?" Fuutie said with a kind nod. "Have you taken a walk through it before, Sakura-san?"

She started. Of course none of them would know that she'd lived for over half a year just a few paces away from the gorgeous woods in their brother's dojo. "Syaoran did bring me once, but never during spring," she answered slowly.

"Oh, then we should all go together! Syaoran – bring your little friends too! I've been hearing from Dairan that you've actually _made_ friends, and we're all excited to meet them," Feimei gushed energetically. "That's them there isn't it? Yoohoo! Syaoran's friends!!"

Sakura had to remind herself to keep her jaw from hanging open. Where did this flamboyance come from? With the exception of Dairan, every Li she had ever met was quiet and composed. When she realized that Andou and Yamazaki and all her old friends, together with their female counterparts (those who had them), were coming over, she swallowed nervously.

"Don't worry," Tomoyo said to her reassuringly. "They didn't recognize you before and they won't recognize you now. After all, who would even _think_ that you're Kino Kura?"

"Li! Daidouji-san. Tsukishiro-san," Yamazaki said, bowing to the ladies. "And all of Li's sisters."

Sakura felt a sad, nostalgic feeling come over her, but it was _so nice _to be able to talk to all of them again, even if some might dislike her because she took Mei Ling's place as Syaoran's fiancée. "It's been a long time, Yamazaki-kun," she answered with a soft smile.

"I'm honored that you remember my name," he said with a grin.

"What about me?" Andou asked eagerly.

It felt _good_ to talk to her friends again. "Andou… um… Tsubasa-kun, was it?" she feigned hesitation.

"Ha! I always knew I liked you," he said, belching a loud laugh. Turning, he ushered to his companion. "Come here Misaki. You should apologize for that night."

"N-No!" Sakura protested. "Please don't. I was the one at fault, and I-"

"Sakura," Syaoran said, exasperated. She fell silent.

To her surprise, not only Misaki, but Chiharu and Naoko also came up and made a small bow to her and said, "We're sorry."

"Especially me," Naoko added in a small voice. "No matter what the circumstances, I should never have poured water over your head, Tsukishiro-san. My behavior that night was inexcusable."

"Please," Sakura said with a hesitant smile. "I wasn't upset about it at all. If anything, I almost wish you would have done worse. Let's just put it behind us."

They all smiled at each other warmly.

"Tomoyo-san!"

The entire group turned to see Eriol running over to them, wide grin on his face.

"Aww, look at the lovebirds," Chiharu giggled, motioning towards the hanamatsuri's best couple. "Aren't they just adorable?"

Sakura laughed with them.

"Oh stop it," Tomoyo said, a red stain covering both her cheeks. "Now that everyone's here, shall we go?"

Falling automatically into step next to Syaoran, Sakura took his arm, and just enjoyed walking together with him, looking at the beautiful cherry blossoms. "It's nice isn't it?" she said serenely. "They look prettier in the moonlight though."

"Are you thinking of one night in particular?" he teased huskily, and she laughed.

"Perhaps," Sakura admitted with a wink. Syaoran merely chuckled in response. Her emerald eyes roamed over the masses of glorious pink petals, but after a few seconds, they settled on his former fiancée, who seemed very alone even despite the fact that she was walking with all four of Syaoran's sisters.

"Syaoran, would you mind joining Tomoyo-chan and Eriol-san and giving them a hard time about their relationship for a few minutes?" she asked with a small smile. "I want to go talk with her for a moment."

He understood immediately whom she meant by 'her', and he lifted his gaze over to where his sisters were walking for a few seconds before nodding. "You needn't if you would rather not," Syaoran said. "I've already spoken to her, and she will be fine, but if you must, I'll be watching you from over there."

Sakura gave his hand a squeeze before detaching from him and walking over to the large group of females. "Mei Ling-san," she said hesitantly. "Might I have a word with you?"

The Chinese beauty calmly tucked a hair behind her ear before saying to her cousins primly, "If you would please excuse me for a few minutes."

Sakura could already feel the stares of every female (and almost every male) in the vicinity glued upon the two of them as they strolled together until they were a short distance away from everyone else. After a few seconds of silence, however, Sakura was becoming a bit desperate. She wasn't sure how to begin.

To her surprise, Mei Ling seemed to sense her discomfort and spoke first. "I've already talked with Syaoran multiple times about you. Even if he doesn't voice it out loud, I can see that he loves you, and since I love him, I suppose that I will have to let him go," she turned suddenly, startling Sakura. "That, however, does not mean that I find you a very pleasant person at all. Though you are my love's love and my best friend's best friend, I see you as my rival."

"Rival?"

"Yes. You did not think that I would simply give up, did you Sakura-san?" Mei Ling said haughtily, but even as she spoke Sakura found a smile rise to her lips. "Nothing is settled until the wedding ceremony is completed. The moment you make a mistake, I will pounce upon it and push you straight out of Syaoran's heart and mind. Now what is it that you have to say to me?"

Sakura couldn't help but laugh, just a little, but her companion did not seem insulted. Instead, she pressed, "Well?"

"Even if you dislike me, Mei Ling-san, I think I like you very much. One day I will be able to explain to you and to everyone else how exactly Syaoran and I… occurred, but even though I am unable to do so now, I will tell you this," she gazed over to the right where Syaoran, Eriol, and Tomoyo were talking together. "I love him more than anything in this world, and I love him a thousand times more than I love myself. So I thank you for loving him too.

"At one point," she continued. "I would have turned back time, if I could, and made it so that he and I would never have met. Everyone around me would probably have been much happier that way. But now I won't… _can't _imagine a world without him. I'm so sorry for becoming your rival, Mei Ling-san, since I would like nothing better than to be friends with you, but I would never take it back now."

After she had spoken, the two of them walked for a little while in relative silence. It was not an awkward one though; the both of them were merely lost in their own thoughts. At length, Mei Ling told Sakura, "Good. If Syaoran is to love you, then you had _better_ love him a thousand times more than yourself. If the one by his side is not to be me, then I would not have it any other way."

And it was so strange, but the two girls seemed to understand each other perfectly at that moment, and they smiled almost warmly at each other. "Thank you, Mei Ling-san," Sakura said. "I am sorry that both you and Tomoyo-chan need to leave so soon. I would have liked to spend more time with you."

"Well I'm not sorry," the Chinese girl answered hotly. "I need some time to myself," she admitted. "But I will come visit you all soon."

"Perhaps sooner than you think," Sakura giggled and motioned towards the "best couple's" direction.

"Oh yes, they are a surprise, aren't they?" Mei Ling agreed enthusiastically, and they both broke out into a fit of giggles.

Syaoran must have been alarmed by the sight of the two of them laughing together in so friendly a manner, because he was by them the next second, looking worriedly (from what Sakura translated from the crease on his brow) from his ex-fiancée to his current one. "It is time to get ready for lunch," he said.

Mei Ling's cheerfulness seemed to falter for a second, but she recovered swiftly. "Well I suppose this is where I'll bid you goodbye for a few hours, Sakura-san, Syaoran. Yelan-sama told me to spend the afternoon with her, so I won't see you until tonight's farewell party."

"I will see you tonight, then," Sakura promised, and Mei Ling nodded before departing.

She turned and scowled at the Li heir. "Did you _really _have to interrupt? The two of us were getting along just fine…" she paused and her shoulders slumped slightly. "Mei Ling-san is a wonderful person. I hate that I'm the one who ruined her happiness."

"It's not your fault you know," Syaoran said slowly. "I was never planning on marrying her in the first place. If it is anyone's responsibility, it is mine, for not informing her sooner."

"Still…"

He smiled down at her. "I was not lying when I said that it is time to prepare for lunch. We ought to go."

"Can we go eat with everyone else?" Sakura asked excitedly. "It's nice being so close to all of our friends again… even though they don't know that it's really me."

"You'll see everyone again in the evening. Come spend the afternoon with me," he said, taking her hand in his.

Sakura felt her face grow hot. He was so _sweet_ and _good_ to her… and it was blowing her senses into overdrive. "W-What if I don't want to?"

"You don't have a choice, not after I spent nearly two hours removing every one of your _damn_ pebbles from the forest floor to keep my brothers from finding their way to the lake again. We'll have a picnic in the forest."

She stared at him.

Syaoran frowned. "Why are you staring? Haven't you become accustomed to my noble facial features yet? Or are they still making you swoon?"

"No!" She slapped his arm lightly, laughing, delighted by his own soft chuckle. "I just never thought I'd hear the word 'picnic' come from your mouth… you've changed, Syaoran."

"You've changed me, Sakura," he answered with another arrogant smirk. "And it is a good day for a picnic."

"Yes," Sakura agreed wholeheartedly. "It is."

The noon hour sped by quickly, and Sakura had immense fun that evening talking and spending time with all her old friends. What she _hadn't_ expected, however, was for Eriol to announce his engagement to Tomoyo not only to the Daidouji headmistress, but also in front of all the party guests, which included a rather large procession of nobles as well as all their peers. Needless to say, Tomoyo would have died from embarrassment, had she not coolly informed Sakura that she would be murdering that "Hiiragizawa bastard" before the night was over.

It was the first time Sakura had ever heard Tomoyo curse. It was also the first time she had ever seen Tomoyo smile so brightly. It was just too bad for her that she'd fallen for someone who enjoyed flashy performances and presentations so much.

Sakura stuck to her cousin, Mei Ling, and to the other girls for the entire night, and she was sorry when the evening festivities ended, because she knew that she wouldn't be able to send them off the next morning. Beginning tomorrow, she and Syaoran would be extremely busy.

--

For practical reasons, the group that had met together in Yukito-san's home the night before had agreed to traveling in pairs, if only to be safe. Therefore, even despite his protests, Syaoran could find no solid reason against Sakura's coming with him to the old library, and none of his arguments had any effect.

"We have already _arrived_, Syaoran," she said irritably. "I think it's about time you stopped complaining and got your _ass_ into the building and started _looking_! I'll keep guard near the front to warn you if anyone comes."

He scowled at her. "For all that he didn't see you when you attacked him at the Sakura Lake, he still knows your face, doesn't he? You are the one responsible for _cutting off_ his finger-"

"But he couldn't even recognize me with a wig on, I think we're safe. If you want to compare faces, I think you're in much more danger than I am at being recognized," Sakura grumbled pushing him into the open doorway and shutting it behind her.

"_Sakura_," he growled.

"_Syaoran_," she retorted with just as much exasperation. "You need to trust me. I can take care of myself."

It was dark, but Sakura could guess what the Li heir's expression looked like. His eyebrows were probably creased and his mouth was probably hard and tilted downwards with decided distaste. After a few seconds, he sighed and ruffled her hair. "Try not to fall of any bookshelves this time," Syaoran teased, chuckling a little.

"I. Said. _Go!_" Sakura yelled, pushing him up towards the second level. "The place where they were talking was the table right next to… where I fell last time," she said, grateful that the darkness hid her blush. His teasing was just as merciless as usual, but what flustered her was how much more open he was to her, with regard to emotion at least. It made her all happy and fluttery inside. "I'll scour the first floor just in case. If anyone comes, you know what to do."

They dispersed. Walking silently through the aisles, Sakura checked everything closely. It was a difficult task, considering they were without candles, since the smell of fire would linger on even after they were gone, and the risk that either Gaoran or Dairan or even their contact would notice was too great.

_"Pull out some books," _Eriol had said. _"And check to see if the size of the shelves don't match up. There might be spaces in between where they keep their documents."_

Sakura scrunched up her nose. Well it was easier said than done. There had to be hundreds… maybe thousands of shelves, and there was _plenty _of dust to make the job unpleasant. As she worked through the long, thin walkways, she hummed a quiet tune under her breath.

"Nothing… nothing… not here… not here," Sakura sighed and leaned her head back, straining to look up towards the second floor. Hopefully Syaoran was faring better, or else they would really have to resort to asking the brothers directly.

The bottom level of the library was much more uniform and condensed than the second, and as she gazed down the long halls of almost identical bookshelves, Sakura seriously doubted that there was anything hidden there. A small smile lit onto her face. Maybe she'd go up and see how he was doing.

Racing lightly up the stairs, Sakura called out, "Syaoran?" There was no response. "Syaoran!" She frowned. Why wasn't her responding? Raising her voice, just a little Sakura jogged around the inner perimeter of the second floor and yelled, "Syaoran! Hey! Where are you?"

"What's going on?" she asked herself in a worried whisper. "Can't he hear me?"

Just then, the sound of someone opening the front door echoed through the large building, and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Slipping out of her sandals, she treaded as silently as she could over to the edge, where she peeked over the wooden posts to see who it was. In this darkness, it was impossible to make out the person's face, but whoever it was lighted his lamp and brought it to his face just at that moment, and Sakura felt her heart sink. Dairan. And she still had no clue what was going on with Syaoran!

Moving as swiftly as she could over to the place where she'd seen Gaoran and Dairan meet one time before, Sakura looked around frantically. Where _was _he? There would be no way to avoid suspicion if he was caught here!

There were footsteps coming up the stairs now. Sakura bit her lip, completely at a loss for what to do. What _could _she do? Should she make some sort of distraction that would lead the second oldest son of the Li Clan out of the library? Or would it be more prudent to just shadow him silently and see what he was there for?

Torn by indecision, by the time Dairan had reached the top, she realized that it was too late. There was no distraction she could think of at the moment in any case, and he was headed in her direction. Sliding between two narrowly spaced bookshelves where she knew Dairan wouldn't be able to see her, Sakura waited for him to pass by before carefully looking around the corner to see where he was going.

It was to the same table they'd spoken at months ago. He set his candle down on the table and sat down, as if waiting for someone. Sakura looked to her left and right a bit desperately. Where _was_ he? When she turned back to once again observe Dairan, however, she had to muffle a scream as suddenly one of the wooden slabs of the ceiling slid open, and a dark, svelte figure dropped onto the floor noiselessly.

"_Mayumi-san_?" she hissed quietly. The maid who sometimes came to clean up Syaoran's dojo?! The sweet little girl whom Sakura had always chatted with while she was still a student of the Academy?

"Dairan-sama," the servant girl bowed.

"You have kept me waiting, wench. Come, we have much to discuss."

Sakura could only watch in astonishment as he pulled three books from the shelf against the wall, and it slid to the side, revealing an open passageway.

"Come."

"Dairan-sama," the girl protested. "Please wait a moment. Shut that door quickly!"

The manners instructor whirled on his servant and slapped her across the face soundly. "Did you just give me a _command_ Mayumi?"

"Forgive me, honorable master," she apologized, bowing. Sakura was horrified to see blood drip down from her nose.

"Wipe that disgusting stuff away Mayumi, and tell me what it is you have to say."

She bowed again and did as she was told. "Dairan-sama, I believe that there is someone else in this library right now. Though I encountered no one on my way in, one of the openings to the roof passageways was open when I arrived."

Sakura cursed mentally. Syaoran!

Immediately, Dairan replaced the three books and sealed the doorway that had been revealed. "Someone must have followed you!" he said furiously, taking his candle and blowing out the light. "We will find this intruder and silence him now. We cannot afford to have anyone take notice of this place."

"Sir," Mayumi bowed again. "I believe that whoever he is, he is still in the roofs. "There are several passageways, and it is likely that he is hiding in one of them."

Dairan growled dangerously. "Find him immediately and slit his throat."

She panicked. If Syaoran was roaming around in the roof, then he was unaware of everything that was going on down in the library. As much as she doubted Mayumi would even stand a chance against the powerful first rank, being caught unawares by two people familiar with the dark ceiling passageways was dangerous. Too dangerous if they were aiming to kill! Chances were that Dairan wouldn't even know who he was attacking until it was too late.

Some sound came from up above her, and to her horror, the ceiling slab directly above slid open, and revealed a dark figure she recognized to be Syaoran staring down at her. Sakura's mind raced. He was opening his mouth to call out to her, but before he could make any other noise, Sakura grabbed a book off the shelf next to her and chucked it towards the roof so that it hit the ceiling slab right next to Syaoran and fell down to the ground.

Dairan and Mayumi took notice immediately, of course, but from their angle, it would be impossible to see Syaoran, who was still crouched up inside the ceiling. All they would see was something dark falling to the ground, where Sakura currently stood.

She raced out of the aisle, just in time to nearly run into Dairan. His dark eyes were wide as he took in her face, but Sakura did not have time to dwell upon it, because at that moment, a knife was thrown past her, grazing the edge of her arm. Mayumi had thrown it.

Dairan was smashing his elbow down upon her, but Sakura grabbed it smoothly, used his weight against him, and threw him onto a startled Mayumi, causing the both of them to fall over. She looked up swiftly. There was still a hole in the ceiling, but Syaoran was no longer there. Not wasting another moment, she turned on her heel and ran to the stairs, sliding down the banister and racing out the door speedily.

She could hear the sound of footsteps on the stairs as she exited the building, and so Sakura picked up her pace. Somehow, Syaoran was already outside and waiting for her, but neither of them bothered to waste time on words. He grabbed her hand and led her to their left, towards more old buildings she didn't recognize

Sakura was hopelessly out of breath, and her heart was still racing when Syaoran finally stopped in front of what looked like an old meeting room, and slid the door open, pulling her inside. "Over here," he said, and the two of them sat down on a long, wooden table in the center of the room.

"Where – is this?" she gasped.

"Shh!" Syaoran hissed. "Try to keep your voice down. This is an unlocked room Andou found once while he was hiding from some teacher. Remember the building he meant to have that party at, except it was too small for us all to fit in?"

"Oh," Sakura said breathlessly, sinking against his chest, and Syaoran wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" he growled furiously. "You scared me."

She frowned. "Well I'm _sorry_ for-"

"Shh!"

They both froze as the sound of footsteps could be heard from the outside. "I think they went this direction, Dairan-sama!" It was Mayumi.

"Keep your voice down, Mayumi. Search all the buildings near here. She couldn't have gone far."

"_She_?" Syaoran groaned softly. "He saw your face?"

"You begin on the left side."

"As you command, Dairan-sama."

Sakura's heart raced. "What are we going to do?" she hissed.

Suddenly, Syaoran's hands were at the tie at her waist, undoing it swiftly. "Excuse me," he said as Sakura's face flamed, and he pulled her into his lap. Her mouth hung open with shock even as he tugged the tie out of her hair so that her auburn tresses spilled loosely around her face. Pushing the top half of her outer and inner kimono off of her shoulders, Syaoran pulled her against him and kissed her fiercely. She froze. One of his hands was tangled into her hair while the other ran up and down the side of her stomach. His gi had been removed at one point or another, she couldn't remember when, and Sakura felt her face grow hot as she was pressed against him.

All of this happened within a few seconds, and Sakura felt like her head was spinning. She understood what he was doing – but, but… she was wearing bindings around her chest, but Sakura was trembling with embarrassment and nervousness. "Put your arms around my neck and kiss me back if you want this to be convincing," he whispered against her lips.

Hesitantly, Sakura did as she was told, and Syaoran growled his approval, moving his mouth to her neck. "Whatever you do, don't look back at the door when it opens," he said.

Right at that moment, the door slid open, and Syaoran bit the edge of her ear lightly, eliciting a gasp from her. The timing was perfect, considering Dairan had just appeared in the doorway, and shock was evident on his face.

"_Syaoran?_" he said in disbelief.

"Aniki," the young Li heir growled. "Do you _mind_?"

The teacher of the gentleman's class was speechless for a few seconds before demanding, "Is that a _student_ of the Daidouji Institute, Syaoran? They're supposed to be leaving-"

Syaoran could feel his fiancée trembling in his arms. "She's not from that girl's school Dairan."

"_Who _is she?!" 

The younger male scowled angrily. "Dairan, who this girl is, is no concern of yours. You're _interrupting_."

"What about your fiancée-"

"Enough. Leave," Syaoran said before planting a solid kiss on Sakura's neck. "What I do with my free time is none of your concern."

She felt a shiver go up her spine as she heard Dairan's cold laugh. "Apparently you're not as caught up with that Tsukishiro girl as I thought. Good. Women are merely burdens, Syaoran. Remember that."

"Apparently," Syaoran responded coolly.

"Did you hear or see anyone run past here?" Dairan asked, turning towards the door.

Syaoran growled angrily. "I haven't _heard_ or _seen_ anyone for the past half hour. If you cannot tell, I have been otherwise preoccupied. Leave."

The door slid shut.

He released her immediately, fixing his clothing and courteously looking away from her as she fixed her own. "I apologize," Syaoran said softly.

Sakura was still trembling as she fixed the sash at her waist, but she shook her head furiously. "I-It's not your fault," she stuttered, horrified to feel tears coming to her eyes. It _wasn't_ Syaoran's fault! She wasn't scared of him and she trusted him! So _why_ was she so scared, if not of him?

"Do you… hate me?" he asked lowly.

"No!" she cried, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly. "No! Not at all! I-I don't know why I'm crying. I'm so sorry Syaoran. That j-just surprised me, I-"

Sighing, Syaoran wrapped his arms around her and stroked the back of her head soothingly. "Don't be scared, Sakura. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for!" she protested angrily, sniffing. Sakura was furious with herself for reacting this way. Syaoran _hadn't_ been taking advantage of her. He'd been saving the both of them! She was the one who had gotten them into this mess in the first place!

Sakura stopped blubbering when she felt something cool slide onto her finger. She stared at her right hand in amazement. "This is…"

It was the emerald and diamond ring that she'd returned to Syaoran the night she'd left the Academy. It was the symbol of their engagement, and of her position as the future female head of the Li Clan.

"I was planning on returning it to you a little later, after I'd cleared up all the mess with my family, but I figure now is also a fitting time as well," he smirked down at her gently. "I'll take responsibility, you know."

"Oh Syaoran, that's an awful joke!" But she was laughing, she couldn't help it. This second surprise had helped her get over her initial shock, and it made her so happy. "I'm not useless or anything," she told him hotly. "I can still get married."

He kissed her. "To _me_," Syaoran growled.

"Yes, to you," she giggled and kissed him back. "Do you think they're gone yet?"

"I think it's best if we stayed here a while longer. After all, Dairan now assumes that we'll be _busy_ for at least another hour or so," he teased, rubbing his nose against hers.

Sakura's face flamed. "Stop it!" she groaned, leaning her head against his chest.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, however, Syaoran broke it. "He saw your face then?"

Slowly, Sakura nodded. "But… I don't think you need to be too concerned… after all, the one who knows what Kinomoto Sakura looks like isn't Dairan, but Gaoran, and in that darkness I doubt they'd be able to even make out the color of my hair or of my eyes."

"You alone hold the ability to terrify me so completely," Syaoran sighed, rubbing circles at the small of her back. "For a moment, I thought I was going to lose you. You have no idea what was going through my head when I saw that knife slice through the air. Honestly, couldn't you think of a less life-threatening way to inform me about the situation?"

"You didn't really leave me much time to think," she told him cheekily. "Besides, it's your fault for disappearing into the roof like that without saying a word to me anyways. I was worried for _you_! They were going to go up there and cut your throat!"

"So you decided that revealing your location and your face would be much more prudent," Syaoran snorted. "Your logic baffles me."

"Well _you _found the roof, and _I _found where their headquarters are," she retorted.

He smiled and kissed her on the lips softly. "So, when would you like to get married?"

"Syaoran!" she groaned.

--

**Tsuzuku…**

--

**Haha… it's the evening in Taiwan right now… what time is it there?**

**Anyhow. For all my hard efforts…**

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hanamatsuri – flower festival

hanami – literally "flower viewing". The viewing of cherry blossoms in season.

aniki – older brother

okaa-sama – honorable mother

oba-sama – honorable aunt

onii-chan – older brother

kaijuu – monster

hai - yes


	33. Changes

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Oh my goodness, I'm actually in the United States… wow… Oo Haha. My trip to Taiwan was absolutely amazing- breathtaking, really. I love all those children that I went to teach and I love all the friends I made there at that church. Honestly, I doubt I've ever met a nicer, more willing to help (despite inconveniences) group of people. I miss them so much…**

**Really though. All the amazing things that happened there… it was completely out of my hands, but it all turned out perfectly. Praise the Lord. **

**Anyhow, now that I'm back, I hope to resume my usual update schedule. No promises, as usual, but I will do my best. **

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed even while I was out of country. There was nothing nicer than coming back home and finding pages of reviews to welcome me. You guys are great. **

--

**Inscribed in the Blade**

--

**Chapter Thirty Three**

--

Although on the surface he was as stoic and placid as ever, Syaoran's insides were churning and his palms were sweating. There were few things in the world he dreaded more than this.

"Come in."

A maid slid the door open and then shut it after him. The young, amber-eyed man inhaled deeply before lifting his gaze towards the only other person in the room.

"Syaoran. What is it? It is a rare occurrence for you to come visit me uncalled," his mother, Li Yelan, said, sitting in her usual chair, reviewing documents.

He walked in front of her and bowed. "Okaa-sama, I'm here to discuss something extremely important with you."

She placed her calligraphy brush down on its metal stand and lifted her head. "Yes?"

"Gaoran," he began, but then stopped. Shaking his head, the young heir took a few steps forward and placed on his mother's desk a small stack of envelopes. "Please allow me to explain after you have taken a look at these."

Her dark eyes narrowed, and the headmistress of the Northern Academy pulled from the first envelope a letter. "What is this Syaoran?"

When her son remained decidedly silent, Yelan read the page quickly. Within a few seconds, the Academy mistress' eyes were wide with shocked fury. "Syaoran! Answer me!" she demanded furiously, moving swiftly to the rest of the stack of letters. "Is this true?"

"For a while now, under the advisory of our spymaster, I as well as several others have been investigating the possibility of a fabricated civil war. Of course, this 'fabrication' only extends as far as provocation as well as certain, key assassinations," Syaoran answered slowly. "As these letters indicate, the heads of this faction are my two elder brothers, Gaoran and Dairan."

He kept his expression as controlled as possible, but was unable to keep his chest from contracting painfully as he watched his mother's face fall. Never before in his life had he seen Li Yelan lose her cool, and Syaoran felt his heart sink deep into the pit of his stomach as he watched her place her face into her hands, as if almost to cry. "And this is absolutely certain?" she asked at length.

Syaoran swallowed with difficulty. This had to be done. "Okaa-sama… I believe that this is true. Several times already they have attempted to… recruit me," he told her gently, knowing very well that all the gentleness in the world could not soften the painful message he was delivering to her. "I… am sorry."

She ignored his last three words. "What are their goals?" Yelan demanded, her voice harsh.

Syaoran's fists clenched. Difficult question after difficult question. If it was in his power, he would have much preferred sparing his mother all of this. "Although I am not entirely certain, from what I gather, their aim is to essentially gain more power. By provoking both sides into fighting, Gaoran intends to reap the benefits of war, to put it simply." It wasn't as if he could tell her that what they wanted was to become _royalty_. Just thinking about it made him sick.

The headmistress' regal features now bore unmistakable signs of exhaustion and grief. "Syaoran… how long have you all known this?"

The young Li heir swallowed, hard. He hated do this to his mother. "It has been at least a month since I was informed. Kinomoto Touya has been working with Eriol for far longer, searching for the cause of the war. It was not until recently that Gaoran and Dairan's names became involved, and it took a period of time to acquire enough... evidence."

"It is a difficult thing to learn that two of my sons have been the main instigators of this wretched, pointless war," Li Yelan said tiredly. "What course of action has Eriol decided upon?"

Uncharacteristically, Syaoran reached out, as if to touch his mother, but drew back and held himself there. "We're bringing in a solider of theirs who might be willing to talk. If we can get information on the size and positions of his troops, then we'll begin the next faze. The servant girl who works in my dojo, Mayumi, is apparently a contact of theirs who brings information in and out of the Academy when Gaoran and Dairan are unable to do so. Tailing her for the next few weeks should reveal some more traitors, and when that link has been exhausted, we'll capture her and make her talk, if possible," he answered, keeping his voice level. "However, the trouble is as you read in those letters. I, at least, hadn't anticipated that so many nobles would already be on their side, actually hoping for war. If we can cut my two brothers down, it is likely that a great number of them will fall away, but if more of them remain unwilling to declare peace, I'm afraid that it truly will become a war."

"They will have a trial. If nothing else, those two are of noble blood, of Li family blood," she said sharply, composing herself swiftly. "But that can wait until the end. I trust you, Syaoran, so I will begin lending you my aid. The Academy will restrict the movements of Gaoran and Dairan accordingly, which will force that servant girl you spoke of to carry more messages. Examine their troops within that period of time. I, myself, will begin pressuring the rest of the Northern nobles to look to peace. Those unwilling I will take care of myself. Have Eriol send Kinomoto-san down to the South to do the same."

When Syaoran raised his eyebrows, Yelan sighed. "Kinomoto Touya," she clarified.

There was a slight, uncomfortable pause. "Okaa-sama," he said slowly. "I was wondering if you would allow my engagement with Tsukishiro Sakura to be cancelled."

"Oh?" asked Yelan, mildly surprised.

"I would like to marry Kinomoto Sakura, without pretenses," explained Syaoran. "She's been forced into living so many lies that I believe it is becoming burdensome. If a more sympathetic North is contrived by then, then fine, but if not, I plan to stand against the opposition and marry her without regard to outside opinion."

The mistress of the Academy leaned back against her chair and smiled slightly. The small movement of her lips and the brightening of her eyes was strikingly different from her previous gloom. Syaoran felt his own shoulders lighten at the transformation. "I am fond of your fiancée, Syaoran, as you know. This decision you have made I will respect."

He bowed. "Thank you."

"However, I want to discuss that weapon hanging from your waist," said Yelan, her eyes narrowing. "Even though you have the sheathe wrapped up in that white cloth, I know enough of our family history to recognize the design and shape of the hilt to see that it is a sword forged by Clow."

Syaoran hid his surprise and small jolt of fear behind a stoic face. That his mother knew was not so much a cause for concern as the possibility that his brothers might have taken notice. If she, who had merely studied their family history, was aware of his weapon's legacy from its hilt, then what of his siblings, who had been sought after the swords for so long?

"Do not look so concerned. My knowledge of our Clan's affairs is unmatched, and I have access to information as the head of our family that no one else has. It is unlikely that anyone else, including your two elder brothers, will be able to recognize it. How did you obtain that sword, Syaoran?"

"I discovered the underground chamber in which it and its twin had been kept for over a century," answered Syaoran. "Gaoran and Dairan were after them as well, and so I took them. Now, I wield the black blade."

"The legendary katana of Clow… the name of your blade is HeiChi. Black Fang, in Japanese, Kurokiba. Who is the bearer of the white blade?"

"… Sakura is, Okaa-sama."

Her eyes did not soften as they usually did whenever he mentioned his now former fiancée. The seriousness in her gaze made Syaoran straighten stiffly. "Then the name of her blade is BaiFa. White Blossom, in Japanese, Shirobana. Think carefully before you use those katana, Syaoran," she warned. "They are not to be wielded lightly. Legend says that there is a curse put upon all who swing those swords unworthily."

"Perhaps I should have let my brothers have their share of the curse then," Syaoran said darkly.

Yelan sighed. "Those two are already under their own curse, my son."

The two of them fell silent, not a rare occurrence, but it was just as uncomfortable as before. A great unhappiness had befallen their family. Syaoran did not know exactly what to say to his mother, but when she picked up the rest of the letters to read, he blurted out, "I am sorry, Okaa-sama."

Her gaze was heavy with remorse. "As am I, Syaoran."

--

Sakura waited anxiously in the shadow of a tree for Syaoran to emerge from his mother's chambers. She drummed her fingernails against the wooden bark nervously. This was a terrible thing to have to break to Li Yelan, and she could only wonder what kind of conversation was occurring inside. A large part of her was incredibly fearful for her future mother-in-law's feelings, but even more so, Sakura was concerned for Syaoran, who was the bearer of the bad news. The fidgeting continued.

Syaoran had told her not to come with him, since Dairan had seen her face, and any more wandering around the Academy could be extremely dangerous. But still, Sakura argued with herself as she peeked around the corner and stared at the twin shoji doors, she was worried, and it couldn't be helped.

"What could be taking so long?" she half-whispered, half-groaned. Ten minutes ago, the doors to the headmistress' rooms had opened, and Sakura had nearly dashed out into the open, but stopped just in time when she realized it was merely a servant girl. "I wonder what they're saying to each other in there," Sakura mumbled to herself.

"I think you ought to leave that conversation up to them. It is about a rather delicate subject, after all," a familiar voice said from right next to her.

Sakura jumped to her feet, unsheathing her katana with lightning speed.

Eriol whistled appreciatively. "Nice reflexes… and amazing sword. Syaoran wasn't lying when he said that you two had obtained Clow's legendary katana. You take care of that, Sakura-san; it's one of the finest blades ever forged."

"Eriol-san!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly. "What do you _mean _nice reflexes? I didn't even hear you creeping up on me!"

He laughed heartily. "That's a specialty of mine, so don't feel down for not sensing my presence. It's a rather useful trick I learned to keep Syaoran on his toes when he was younger. Perhaps I used it too often, though. I can never seem to get much of a reaction from him now."

Sakura shook herself. She wasn't supposed to be surprised. This was the North's newest spymaster, after all. "Are you here to talk to Yelan-sama?" she asked curiously.

"That, and I'm here to deliver a message to you," responded Eriol cheerfully. "Your brother is at Yukito-san's house, and would like a word with you."

"Onii-chan would?"

He nodded, becoming a bit graver. "I'm afraid that you two might have to part for a short while again, but we'll be sure to keep him safe, don't worry."

Sakura felt dread begin to creep over her. "What do you mean-"

"Take the back route through the archery fields to get there. Almost all the students are on the opposite side learning their lessons."

She took off almost immediately, but paused long enough to ask, "Don't you need to be in class, Eriol-san?"

He grinned at her cheekily. "They make exceptions for me from time to time."

Sakura nodded, and ran.

When she reached her former kenjutsu instructor's rooms, Yukito was already waiting for her, and ushered her inside kindly. "Touya's in the third room on the right," he told her.

She thanked him and went in. "Onii-chan?" she called out, hesitantly. Her brother was kneeling on a zabuton on the far side of the room, inspecting a sword.

"Sakura," he said, turning and setting the sword down. Rising to his feet, the head of the Kinomoto family crossed the room in just four long strides and wrapped his younger sister in a tight hug.

"What's wrong, Onii-chan?" Sakura asked anxiously. "Why did Eriol-san say that we have to 'part' for a little while? Are you going somewhere?"

He nodded with a frown, but upon seeing her panicking expression, ruffled her hair affectionately. "Don't scrunch your eyebrows like that. It makes you look like even more of a kaijuu than usual. You don't have to worry about me, Sakura. I'm merely returning home and taking up my responsibilities as head of our household. I'm going to be managing the Southern nobles, and Yuki and my other cohorts will be serving as our go-betweens."

"Won't it be dangerous getting you out of the Academy?" she demanded, almost angrily. "It's not fair to make you go! You already got caught by them once… and you've done so much already! I haven't seen you in nearly a decade, Onii-chan! Won't you stay?"

"Sakura," Touya said seriously, fixing her with an admonishing glare. She looked away from him, still hating what was happening. "You know that these are dangerous times, and we all have to make some sacrifices-" He knew immediately he'd used the wrong word when she stiffened and turned white. – "I don't mean that I'm going to be a sacrifice, silly. I'm not leaving you in any permanent sense, but you have to be understanding. Eriol says that he can get me across the border safely, and I believe him. You trust him, don't you?"

Reluctantly, Sakura nodded.

"If I don't go, then who will? I doubt you're ready to leave that damn gaki any time soon-"

"Syaoran is not a gaki!" she answered, scowling. "He's a very good person!"

Touya glowered. "A very good person who made you cry. Don't think that I'll ever forget that night I first brought you out of the Academy. I've never seen you so devastated before."

'That's because you weren't home when Otou-sama and Okaa-sama were killed' was on the tip of her tongue, but Sakura swallowed it before the hurtful words could spill out of her lips. Her brother was just being a good brother.

"Onii-chan was partially at fault for that too! You didn't have to break the news to him in such an uncouth way," she glowered right back at him.

He snorted. "That doesn't change the fact that I don't trust him. Look what kinds of people he has for family."

"Onii-chan!" Sakura yelled, enraged. "Syaoran is _not_ like his brothers! And the rest of his family is just wonderful!"

"Alright, alright," her brother relented. "Don't get so worked up. I'll be back to threaten him properly before the two of you get…" he looked in pain "… married – Sakura, you sure you want to be engaged to that creep?"

"_Onii-chan_."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes. It's all your poor onii-chan's fault. Now promise me this, Sakura," Touya said taking his precious baby sister's hand in his and squeezing it tightly. "Stay safe while I'm away. I can't rush to your rescue if I'm in the South, so don't do anything stupid, okay? And give this to your gaki fiancé for me, will you? No, you can't read it."

She stared at the letter he had handed her. "When are you… leaving?" the last word came out almost brokenly. She was going to be separated from the last remaining member of her family – _again_. Even if he was annoying and overprotective and always making fun of her… he was her _onii-chan_! She didn't want him to go.

"Don't make that sort of face," he said again. "Smile for me. Be brave like you were brave (albeit incredibly foolish) after our parents died. I'm leaving tonight, but I'll see you soon."

She clung onto the sleeve of his gi. "Can't I stay with you today then?" Sakura begged.

Touya shut his eyes and pulled her into a tighter hug. "I want to say yes, Sakura," he whispered furiously. "But I'm afraid that you can't. There are things you will be needed to take care of, so return to the side of that gaki of yours. I'll see you again soon."

His promise was the only thing that made this parting bearable at all. The last two members of the Kinomoto family embraced tightly, not wanting to let each other go. They had been apart for so long, and now they were going to be separated yet again after only such a short time together.

"It's time," her brother said at last, pulling away and kissing her swiftly on the forehead. "I need to move to Yue's rooms before noon, so this is goodbye for now, Sakura."

Her grip on his sleeve tightened. "Onii-chan," she whispered.

Just then, the door opened and Yukito, Eriol, and Syaoran entered the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt," Eriol said apologetically. "But we need to move Touya-san now. Sakura-san, you go with Syaoran for the moment. He'll explain what things need to be taken care of."

Sakura clutched onto her brother's sleeve for a few more seconds before nodding and releasing him. "Stay safe, Onii-chan," she said in a small voice.

He ruffled her hair affectionately. "Worry about yourself, kaijuu. I'm your _older_ brother for a reason." With that, he turned and left the room with the kenjutsu instructor and spymaster.

She watched him go, feeling lonely, and went to Syaoran's side. "Here," she said quietly, handing him her brother's letter. "This is from Onii-chan. It's probably full of death threats, but read it later anyways."

He nodded, his eyes fixed on her. "Don't worry about him," Syaoran said gruffly. "Your brother is more than capable of taking care of himself."

"I know," Sakura sighed. She gazed up at him. "How was it?" she asked.

Syaoran's expression was grim, and he shook his head. "Okaa-sama will be fine. She is strong."

Sakura smiled up at him encouragingly.

"I heard from Eriol that you were waiting outside for me. How many times do I have to remind you of how dangerous a position you're in?" he said suddenly, scowling down at her. "Even allowing you to move around at night is dangerous; I wonder what that guy is thinking, letting you to participate in our assignments."

Sakura managed a saucy grin. "That's because they are _our_ assignments, not yours. So what's there to do today? Is it really all right for you to not be at your classes? Your brothers will notice."

Syaoran turned to leave the room, and Sakura followed after him. "I have to return to the rest of my classes now, but we'll begin tonight. For now I want you to clean your room out and hide everything carefully. All of my servants have been ordered not to come for the next week or so, since it would be suspicious if I dismissed only Mayumi, but as a precaution it's best if they can't find that someone else is living with me."

"How do you plan on managing that?" asked Sakura, surprised.

"Just replace your futon into the closet every morning like you usually do. As for the rest of your possessions, keep them tucked neatly in a corner, as if you don't come and use them often. If at all possible, let them gather some dust. I'll tell them that my fiancée used to come use that room from time to time. About that though," he said, pausing slightly.

"Yes?" she asked.

He looked away rather awkwardly. "I told Okaa-sama to cancel my engagement to Tsukishiro Sakura next week."

She was silent, her eyes fixed on him in confusion. "I don't understand," she said.

"I want to be officially engaged to _you_, Kinomoto Sakura, not some pseudo name you used to make your disguise."

Sakura felt her shoulders slump. "You really shouldn't do that," she said quietly. "I'm just going to cause you more trouble that way."

"I don't mind the trouble, or what the other nobles think. My priority is you," he told her. "I plan on announcing our engagement after the fighting and politics are over, but if it drags on too long… would you be willing to stand with me against the opposition in about two months?"

She smiled at him. "I'm willing when you are."

Syaoran nodded, satisfied. "We're trailing Mayumi tonight."

"_We_ are? Isn't that a bit too dangerous for the both of us?"

"Unfortunately, Eriol has most of his resources already tied up, which is why he even had to ask your brother to return home. We're the best bet he has right now; since I live in a dojo separate from all the other students and you technically aren't even in the Academy, it is less likely that anyone will notice our absence. The only hitch is that neither of us can afford to get caught."

Sakura took this all in slowly. "Will this involve _leaving_ the Academy?"

"Yes," he answered. "Which is another reason we were chosen. Getting caught outside of the school isn't really a problem. As Okaa-sama's son, I'm allowed freely on and off of grounds. Our excuse would be that I was headed for a drink at the pub."

"And me?"

He smirked down at her. "You would be my companion for the evening."

She glared at him. "Do you _usually_ bring 'companions' with you when you go drinking."

"Does it bother you?" he teased softly.

Sakura glowered.

"Never," he promised, straightening with a smile. "I need to head over to the archery fields now. Go back to the dojo to clean up."

"Oohh… I miss Mizuki-sensei's lessons," she said, feeling a bit lonely. The life she'd lived as Kino Kura seemed like a distant memory now.

"Mizuki-sensei isn't here anymore," Syaoran said, turning to leave. "Eriol sent her to check over all the seaports."

"What?! _All _of them?!" Sakura exclaimed. "That could take ages!"

"She has people working under her. It might be a bit overly cautious, but Eriol wants to make sure that no mercenaries have been contacted to help Gaoran and Dairan fight their fight. We need to know what we're up against."

Mercenaries?! Sakura found it difficult to stay standing. What kind of situation were they facing exactly?!

--

"Ready?" he whispered to her.

She smirked at him. "Ready… but I feel silly with this cloak. Won't it just draw _more_ attention Syaoran?"

"You'll be grateful for it if we ever get caught. Let's go."

The two of them darted out into the darkness, headed towards the servants' quarters. Syaoran stopped running and hid behind a tree when they reached the front entrance of the large building Mayumi was supposedly staying in, but Sakura kept going until she reached the back exit and hid there.

Sakura made a face as she crouched low behind some bushes and kept a watch on the door. Certainly, all they had to do was wait for Mayumi to begin moving, but whether or not she would be moving at all tonight they weren't sure. It would be like this… waiting evening after evening after evening for hours on end. It was okay for her, since she could always sleep during the day, but what was Syaoran going to do if he still had to attend his classes?

The seconds turned into minutes and then the minutes turned into hours as time ticked by slowly. The silence around her was broken only by a few servant girls coming or going from the building. None of them were Mayumi, though.

Sakura shivered slightly as the wind began to pick up. How long had it been already? Three – four hours? She couldn't tell. Gazing up into the sky, she saw that the moon was already high above her, and the stars were shining brightly. It was a shame that she couldn't spend this time stargazing instead of glaring at a small door, waiting for a girl who might not come out to come out. Of course, being here was still better than not being here.

Then it happened. So slowly and quietly that she almost didn't notice, the back door to the female servants' quarters slid open, and out stepped Mayumi. Sakura's reaction was immediate. Unsheathing her sword, she let the light from the sky hit its blade, and signaled to Syaoran that their prey was on the move.

He was by her side in less than a minute. "Where is she?" he whispered.

"She just went around that corner," Sakura responded quickly. "Let's follow."

They trailed silently behind her, dogging her steps all the way to the front entrance of the Academy. "How does she plan to get out? This gate is so heavily guarded!"

"I assume that one of my brothers gave her a pass. Servants who possess a certain pass are given license to leave the Academy freely in order to do shopping or to deal with other business. See that? She's showing the guard hers."

Sakura faltered. "How are _we _going to follow after?"

"This is why it is a good thing you are wearing a cloak. Here. This is likely the same sort of pass Mayumi used to get out. You need to go first."

Sakura swallowed hard and took the slip of parchment from his hand. "I thought I was going to be your 'companion' for the evening."

"You are, but no one is so open about bringing a woman outside with them at night. If anyone gets suspicious, that you are my 'companion' will be our excuse. Don't be so tense," he said encouragingly. "The guards are much more wary of people trying to get in than of servants trying to get out."

Getting up, Sakura strolled out into the open and headed over to the gate. A tall man dressed in a dark Academy uniform came up to her. "What business do you have? Let me see your face. Your name?"

She tugged her hood back slightly so that part of her face was revealed, but it still hid her hair. "My name is Minami. I have been sent out to run some errands," she answered steadily, showing the guard her pass.

"Open it up for her boys. The servant girl has got a pass," he called over to his men, but when he turned back to look at her, Sakura felt a chill slip down her spine at the look in his eyes. Reaching out, he took hold of her chin and tilted it upwards. "Are you a new one, girl? I haven't seen you before."

Sakura figured that trembling a little was allowed. Any other servant girl would likely be doing so as well. "N-No," she answered hesitantly. "I was never assigned to leave during the night before, and I've been sick for a long time. Maybe that is why you do not recognize me, sir."

The guard grinned toothily down at her. "You sure are pretty though. What time do you need to be back by? My shift ends in about an hour. Why don't you wait for me?"

"I-I'm sorry, sir. But my errand takes a long time to complete so I can't wait…"

The dark face scowled down at her, and his grip on her chin tightened. "Oh is that so? Well, why don't you just tell me where exactly this errand takes you so that I can follow you there? It's not proper for a little girl like you to be wandering around by yourself at night. I should keep you company."

Sakura panicked. She didn't know the town well enough to come up with a location. She'd only ever been in the day market.

"T-That is," she stuttered.

"What's going on?" Syaoran voice interrupted coldly. "Why has that gate been kept open for so long? My mother will not be pleased to hear that our security has become lax. You there." He glared pointedly at the guard holding Sakura captive. "What are you doing to that girl?"

"Li-sama!" The guard fell back immediately, bowing. "I was merely questioning this girl. Please pass, sir."

Amber eyes flashed. "Girl, what is your name?"

"M-Minami, Li-sama."

Syaoran whirled on the guard. "And what were you questioning Minami-san about?"

"M-Merely standard procedure, Li-sama. She is clear now," the poor man stammered, and he returned immediately to his post by the gate.

Syaoran turned to Sakura. "Come," he said, and as they passed through the gate, the guards all bowed.

They both walked swiftly down the path. Sakura was nervous that they had lost sight of Mayumi because of the scene they had caused back at the Academy, but when Syaoran remained stonily silent for more than five minutes, she asked him what was wrong.

Only now did she notice that his fists were clenched and his jaw tight. "Syaoran?" she repeated.

He looked as if he was struggling with himself for a few seconds, but finally he said, "That dog _dared_ to lay a hand on you. Even giving him a whipping would not be enough. I'm going to have him punished when we get back."

Sakura stared at him, her mouth open with surprise. "You were… upset about _that_?" she asked, giggling. Taking a few steps closer to her fiancé, she took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently. "You don't need to get so worked up over a thing like that. The worst that happened to me was a sore chin."

At this, he paused and leaned down to inspect her. "Did he bruise you?" Syaoran asked, tracing his thumb over the curve of her face.

She blushed furiously at the contact and looked away. "I'm _fine_, Syaoran. More importantly, shouldn't we hurry?"

"She's right there, Sakura," Syaoran said, sighing. "Don't get so nervous. She won't be able to lose us so easily." However, even as he spoke, he pulled her into the trees and the two of them began to pick up their pace.

While they were still a good distance from the town, Mayumi stopped abruptly and walked into the forest to the left of the path, in Syaoran and Sakura's direction. They ducked swiftly down to the ground behind some trees and watched as the servant girl stood there quietly, as if waiting for someone. They weren't disappointed. About five minutes later, the sound of footsteps coming from within the foliage could be heard, and a dark figure hidden by a cloak emerged and began speaking to Mayumi.

Squinting, Sakura could just barely make out that the girl had slipped a small letter to the cloaked figure. The interaction between the two lasted only two minutes, and immediately afterwards, Mayumi stepped back onto the path and began heading back to the Academy at a fairly rapid pace.

Syaoran motioned for the both of them to follow after the man who was apparently a messenger, and Sakura crept as quietly as she could after him. After they had shadowed him deep into the trees, he gave her the signal. Nodding in response, Sakura stood up straight, pulling her cloak closely around her.

Dashing forward, she unsheathed her sword and pressed it to the man's back. "Don't move," she whispered coolly. "If you want to keep your life."

The man froze.

"There's a good boy. Now place both of your hands in the air where I can see them and turn around slowly."

He did so, but when he was finally facing her, the man gave out a dry chuckle. "I'm being threatened by a _woman_?"

Sakura laughed lightly too. "Yes, you're being mugged by a woman. I'm rather good at what I do though, you oughtn't underestimate me."

He snorted. "Do you think I'm scared of a little girl like-" His words cut off suddenly, and his eyes rolled back into his head as he fell to the ground in with a loud thud. Syaoran had snuck up behind him and hit him over the head with the butt of his hilt.

She giggled. "Nice timing."

"Men like him are stupid to let their guards down simply because their opponent is a woman," Syaoran said mirthlessly. "I'll strip him of his possessions. You bind his hands and feet."

Cheerfully, Sakura pulled out some rope and set down to work. "Be fair, Syaoran. You can only say that because you _know_ me. It's true that most women don't even know how to properly hold a sword."

"Underestimating your opponent can be a fatal mistake," he retorted shortly. "This man is an idiot. What sort of spy carries personal effects on him?"

"Don't underestimate your opponent, Syaoran," Sakura teased. "They might be fake, to lead us in the wrong direction."

He glared at her and tucked the letter Mayumi had given him into his gi. "We'll just leave him here for now. This man will be out cold for a while yet. One of Eriol's men is down at the pub. We'll have him come pick this messenger up." He rose to his feet.

Sakura pouted and stood up as well. "You're not still mad about that guard are you?"

"I don't like it when other men touch you," Syaoran answered darkly, turning and walking out onto the dirt road.

She smiled slightly. "If we're headed to the local bar anyway, why don't we stop and get something to drink? I'm guessing you haven't been out much since that one time we were in the market together. You need to loosen up a bit, Syaoran."

He looked exasperatedly down at her out of the corner of his eye. "Aren't you insulted at all by that man's actions? You're of higher birth and of higher ranking, and _my_ fiancée."

"That hasn't got anything to do with it," she told him crisply. "Any woman ought to feel insulted… but _someone_ already lost his temper on my behalf." Sakura smiled again. "There isn't any reason why the _both_ of us need to get mad over something like that. Besides, I'm not your fiancée anymore, remember?"

Syaoran growled irritably.

They stepped into the bright, crowded pub, and Syaoran headed straight for the bar lady's counter. "Yumiko," he said. "Where's Nomu? I need a word with him."

The voluptuous woman had been about to greet the both of them brightly, but at Syaoran's words she nodded gravely. "Well alright then, follow me to a more private room."

Sakura started in surprise and mouthed to Syaoran, "The bar owner is the contact?"

He nodded in response. "It's convenient, especially since this bar serves as the local information exchange."

Opening up the counter, Yumiko-san let them slip through into the back of the store. The two of them followed her down a long corridor until she turned and knocked on a large, wooden door. "Nomu? The Li boy here has something for you."

The door slid open and Nomu ushered the both of them inside. "How can I help you, Li-sama?" he asked motioning for them to sit down at a table. He pulled up extra seats and helped Sakura into hers, ignoring the glare Syaoran threw his way. "Would it be too much to hope that you were just here for a chat?"

"We've caught one of their messengers in the forest by the path to the Academy. He's unconscious now, and bound, but the sooner you can go pick him up the better," Syaoran told him coldly.

The old man scowled. "Couldn't think to lug him here yourself, could ye?"

"Of course not," Syaoran retorted stoically. "My lugging an unconscious man around would draw far too much notice."

"Well alright then," the man rose to his feet grumpily. "My and some of my boys will go get him. Is that all you needed?"

"That was all," Syaoran said, rising to his feet. "We'll be heading back to the front then."

"Yumiko!" Nomu yelled, calling his irritated wife back.

"What?" she demanded angrily. "I still have customers to take care of, you know."

He scratched his rugged beard absentmindedly. "Take these two back out to the front. I need to step out for an hour or so."

"Well alright then," she said. "Come on you two. Will you be staying for a drink or do you need to head back?"

"A drink," Sakura said quickly, before Syaoran could protest. "If you please."

Yumiko laughed heartily. "Well what pretty manners. What's this? Li-kun actually bringing a girl with him? I thought I'd never see the day."

Sakura blushed as the bar lady sat them down at a table. "What'll you have then?" she asked them. "I'm sorry, but I'm out of _Kuroba _tonight."

"Why don't you try some of the one I like then?" Sakura smiled at Syaoran. "_Nadeshiko_-_Ume_ Sake please."

Yumiko-san was silent for a good few seconds. Syaoran threw Sakura a dark glare. The girl in question was baffled. "Is something the matter, Yumiko-san?" she asked.

"Well I'll be… you're that Kino boy who came with the boys and that lady all those months ago!" she exclaimed.

Sakura's jaw dropped. "H-How did you…"

"She's a bartender, Sakura," Syaoran answered dryly. "How many people with auburn hair and green eyes come here to order such a particular and rare sake? It would be difficult not to remember you."

Sakura blushed. "Oh," she said sheepishly. "Oops."

The large woman, on the other hand, was beaming. "Well it's very nice to see you again then. I'm afraid that we don't have either of your sakes this evening. Is there something else I could get you?"

She looked at Syaoran who shrugged. "Why not a house recommendation then?" Yumko suggested. "_Soranoko_?"

"Child of the heavens?" Sakura asked.

"It's a drink for lovers," Yumiko laughed again. "But maybe I'm being too presumptuous?"

Sakura turned even pinker, but Syaoran sighed. "A bottle then."

The large woman chortled cheerfully. "I thought I'd never see the day. Wait just a minute then, you two."

Sakura blinked in surprise before leaning forward and staring at her lover. "You're okay with drinking a drink for lovers?"

"It is appropriate," he said, not batting an eyelash. "We are in love. That makes us lovers."

Her mouth opened slightly in surprise at the simplicity and bluntness of his comment. "O-oh, well yes, I suppose so, if you put it that way."

"Does it make you uncomfortable?" he teased lightly.

Sakura hated how easily her cheeks could color. "N-No," she stuck her tongue out at him childishly. "I was just thinking that you're a lot bolder than before. It's not as if you make me uncomfortable."

Syaoran leaned over and took her hand in his, lacing his fingers between hers. "Good," he said, grinning. "Because you're stuck with me."

--

The next few nights followed in very much the same fashion. Sometimes Mayumi would not come out all night. Other nights, she would go out, but sometimes there would be no one there to meet her. Sakura guessed that those nights Mayumi was supposed to meet up with messengers that they'd already captured.

Eventually they decided that Sakura would always go outside of the Academy earlier, no matter what, to keep from drawing too much attention to the two of them. After considering things a bit, Syaoran decided that him having a companion with him every time he went out was simply too suspicious, and so it would be safer for the two of them to remain unconnected to each other. If Mayumi hadn't moved by the time the guards switched shifts for the third time, then Sakura would go back inside.

Everything was going smoothly, almost a bit too smoothly, so it almost shouldn't have been a surprise when one night, as Sakura was leaving the Academy, she met with an unexpected surprise.

Terrified emerald eyes stared up at dangerous brown orbs. "Y-Y-Y-You…" the words died in her throat as Gaoran, who had been waiting for her outside the gate, grinned maliciously down at her.

"I _knew_ it was you, blossom, when your brother disappeared from my cells. Have you been watching me for a very long time? I have so many questions for you, Sakura-_chan_…and a promise to keep," he chuckled lowly. "You remember that promise, don't you?"

The scream never left her lips. Only, the dark night around her seemed to get darker and darker until everything melted into blackness.

--

**Tsuzuku…**

--

**I only just got back, so please don't blame me if my writing wasn't perfect. In Taiwan I spoke "English" to people who had very bad English grammar, and so some of their habits might have caught on. xP **

**In any case, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It is, yet again, another transitional one, but I hope I made it somewhat interesting. **

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kaijuu – monster

okaa-sama – honorable mother


	34. Blossom

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**I won't have time to post anything tomorrow, so, surprise surprise, you all get your chapter 34 early! **

**Would you believe that I wrote sixteen pages for this chapter… and then scrapped it all to start anew just because the story didn't work out? Xx I'm exhausted.**

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Thirty Four**

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Emerald eyes blinked slowly open. The ceiling… was unfamiliar… Where was she?

"It is about time, Blossom. I have been waiting rather patiently for you."

Gaoran's voice; this was Gaoran's voice. Sakura swallowed a moan. Now what was going on again? She'd gone outside the Academy like usual, and then she-

Sakura eyes shot open and she sat up swiftly, her hand moving automatically to her waist where her sword was supposed to be, but her fingers closed around nothing. The young girl cursed inwardly. Really, what had she been expecting? For them to leave her armed?

Her captor laughed dryly. "I will be taking care of that sword from now on." Emerald eyes narrowed with fury as she recognized her blade strapped to his side. "You won't need it anymore. But to think, that you were the one who cut me down in that underground chamber. Were you not satisfied with my finger?"

His words shook her, and Sakura looked away from him, refusing to show the bastard who'd ruined so many lives how scared she was. She gazed around the room. It occurred to Sakura then that she was in a strange, sparsely furnished room she did not recognize, and that her left ankle was chained to a wooden post near the futon she had been laying on. The habitual, nervous chewing of her lip began. "Where am I?"

This question elicited another deep chuckle from Gaoran. Sakura shivered at the sound of his voice. "You are so simple that it is almost endearing. Of course you would want to know, wouldn't you Blossom? Why don't you tell me where you're keeping the other Clow blade first?"

Sakura snorted. "The sky might fall."

Dark brown eyes flashed dangerously, and for the first time thoughts of torture slipped through her mind. Sakura sucked in a shaky breath. She was, after all, being kept alive only as long as she was useful, and beatings… maybe even rape were likely not beneath a man like Gaoran. To her surprise, and great relief, he merely stared at her ominously from his chair a couple feet away.

"I have a couple questions for you, Blossom. You obviously have some friends in the Academy. Infiltrating a prestigious Northern military school, finding that lake in the forest, and even obtaining a servant's pass… I doubt that you are capable of accomplishing so much all by yourself. Or perhaps I'm merely underestimating you again?" The mocking jeer in his tone was not lost on Sakura, but she forced herself to ignore his goading and concentrate on the not-so-harmless question he'd asked.

Her heart raced. It seemed like he didn't know much about her yet. "You remember what happened to you the last time you underestimated me, right?" she threw back, smirking at him. "The first time cost you a finger… the second time almost cost you your life… I wonder what this third time will cost you hm?"

This time she'd obviously crossed some line, but while the maniacal gleam in his eye and angry contortion of his face terrified her, there was no physical retribution. "I think you'll find it much more difficult to push my buttons than that, Blossom," Gaoran hissed in an eerily calm voice. "I do not lose control easily, but still, I would not push my luck if I were you. Why don't I try another question then?"

He got up from his seat and walked over to her futon, crouching down in front of her and grabbing her chin roughly. "Why did you leave after knocking me unconscious? I would assume your reason for coming here was revenge. That sort of thinking suits your type, Blossom. Did you have a sudden change of heart?"

Sakura glowered at him. "If I had a sword now, I wouldn't mind taking you on," she hissed.

"Let's see if I understand your words correctly then. You came after me for revenge, and even now still hate me. Then, what was your reason for giving up the only chance you had to kill me? Circumstances must have changed… or perhaps that friend of yours kept you from finishing the job."

Her heart fell even as she schooled her facial features to keep her expression hostile and defiant. Li Gaoran was truly a fearsome enemy. He had divulged so much from her words… or rather from everything she hadn't said. It was going to be difficult to outsmart him, but she had to do so and quickly. What Syaoran and the others must be thinking or doing at the moment Sakura did not even want to dwell upon.

"Foolish," he growled, pulling her chin up so that she was staring straight up at his scar. "Your noble, honest kind is always foolish. You will not get a second chance like that." He shoved her to the side, and the back of Sakura's head hit the wooden post hard. Her lithe formed curled up in pain, but she bit her lip to keep from uttering a sound.

Gaoran sneered. "I would stay to play longer… you may trust me when I say that you will not rest in peace until you have answered every single one of my questions, but I'm afraid some business with my mother this afternoon calls me away. Dairan will be here to try again shortly. I should warn you though." His grin was feral. "My brother is not as good with control as I am, and we do not intend on calling a doctor."

Sakura watched the door shut behind him before allowing herself to sag down and tremble. Her hands shook. It was not the thought of possible torture that frightened her, but the possibility that she might accidentally let something important slip. "It's okay Sakura," she whispered to herself. "It'll be okay…" At least they hadn't tied up her limbs. She gave herself a little hug before turning to her largest hindrance at hand.

Reaching out, Sakura gave the chain attached to her right ankle a little tug and groaned. Very secure, of course, and it had a short reach. She wouldn't have much room to maneuver around. Her gaze roamed the room, searching for anything that might be of use. There was one window… one chair… and one futon. Unfortunately, the path to the window far outstretched the length of the chain. Sakura looked back over at the door Gaoran left through only minutes ago.

Suddenly, a tremor shook through her body, and Sakura burst into silent, furious tears. She had been such a fool! How could she allow herself to be caught off guard like that?! She was putting everyone into such a difficult position. Just thinking about how worried Syaoran and the others had to be made her feel sick. They were definitely going to try regaining her, at any cost… but if they revealed too many of their cards too soon, then how were they going to catch these two, despicable brothers?! She had to find a way out of here before her friends and fiancé did anything drastic.

"Oh? Well, from all of Gaoran's descriptions, I hadn't really expected that you were the type of girl to cry. I should have known that my brother was a poor judge of women."

Sakura's tears ceased immediately, and she looked up in horror to see Dairan smirking at her from the doorway.

"But then again," he drawled, smiling at her charmingly. "You are just a girl, after all. This must be so difficult for you."

A couple long strides and the second son of the Li family was instantly by her side, crouching down and gazing at her tear-stained face. "You're rather pretty, aren't you? It's such a shame my brother is so intent on having you dead… maybe I should talk to him for you. Would you like that, Blossom?"

Sakura smothered the urge to make a face. This was obviously a change in tactics… and Dairan was quite blatantly trying to charm her into his hands, but she was nothing if not completely disgusted by both his words and proximity. "Is that my new nickname?" she asked, unable to keep a little sarcasm from seeping into her voice. "Blossom?"

"It suits you, don't you think?" he said, smiling. Sakura forced herself to smile hesitantly back. "You are such a rare sort of flower… a noble at heart, I'm sure. A high class daughter reduced to revenge by circumstances… it's really such a shame. Would you like something to eat?"

Inwardly, Sakura wondered if he didn't realize how unappreciative of his fake suavity she was, but perhaps she was simply biased. Personally, she thought Syaoran was much better looking.

"No, thank you," she said primly, letting some of her wariness show through onto her face. Neither of the two were idiots, so if she was going to play along, then she'd have to act her part right. She was supposed to be a princess who had lost her family, tracked up into the North to avenge her parents, and was now held prisoner, awaiting death. A little wariness was a must.

"But I'm sure you're starving. How does some fruit sound?" He clapped his hands, and immediately the door slid open and a maid came in, bearing a large bowl of pears and apples. "They're very good," he told her, chuckling a little. "And look, not poisoned." He took a bite.

Sakura turned her face slightly so that she was looking somewhat defiantly away from him.

Dairan sighed. "Well, I guess it can't be helped if you hate me. You're strong too, I can tell. How many noble ladies would so foolishly yet so bravely chase after death for revenge?" He smiled at her again. Sakura willed her arms not to break out into goose bumps. "But still, I know that you must be starving. Please eat? If not for me, then so you'll have energy to keep irritating that brother of mine?"

Her eyes narrowed. Ohh, he was good at this. Was it time for her to act charmed now or was it still too early? "I forgot to ask," she said, the edge in her voice dulled a bit. "How is it that you two found out about me? I was almost positive that I'd hidden myself so well."

"If I answer your question will you answer one of mine?" he offered teasingly.

Sakura bit her lip, considering this. "That would… depend on the question, I suppose," she answered slowly, gauging his reaction carefully.

Dairan seemed perfectly fine with his. "Let's start with an easy one then, shall we? To be fair, how thoroughly you answer my question will be how thoroughly I answer yours. Alright then. Tell me about that night Gaoran went into the Sakura forest… and why don't we throw in how you found out about that brother of yours?"

"That's supposed to be an easy question? That wasn't even a question… there were two," she said hesitantly.

"It's up to you," Dairan said, laughing.

Sakura's mind raced. Could she pull the lies off correctly? "I've been hiding in the Academy for a while, but it took me a long time to even figure out who Gaoran was. When I did find out it was at the start of the competitions when he came to the Academy. I overheard two students talking… one of them was your youngest brother, I think, about the two of you looking for something about Clow. So I set up a trap that would lead Gaoran into the underground room and ambushed him there. Somehow I was able to knock him unconscious, but then… an emergency came up, and so I had no time to…" She trailed off, faking a couple of tears. It wasn't a difficult task. All she had to do was think about the situation she'd landed herself in, and the waterworks started.

"You got scared, didn't you? You couldn't bring yourself to kill Gaoran," Dairan said, hazarding a guess. He looked confident though, and so Sakura said nothing. It was easier to let him think that he was right and draw his own conclusions. "You glossed over a couple of details… like how you found out about the swords as well as the forest, but that's fine. We can go back to them later. Please continue."

"M-My brother…" she stammered, racking her brain for ideas. Sakura shut her eyes, as if debating whether or not to tell him. In truth, she was searching frantically for a suitable answer. "I found out about him by chance. Since I'd already given up on… revenge," she looked away, ashamed. "It was the last thing I had to take care of before leaving. I'd occasionally tailed your brother around, to look for any openings, but since it was extremely risky, I didn't do it often. One day I saw him bring that boy, your younger brother, to a sort of stable. I didn't go in, but I overheard bits and parts of what they were saying. Onii-chan never would have let me try and take revenge, so I waited until afterwards to rescue him. That's… about it."

She looked at him. "That was a pretty good answer, right? It's your turn."

Dairan grinned and rose, flourishing a little bow. "I am nothing if not a man of my word, Blossom. Very well. Some of our men, whom we arranged to meet us during the night, have recently gone missing. I assume that that has been your doing?"

Sakura flushed and averted her gaze again. It was better for them to pin it on her and not find out about Syaoran.

"It was simply a matter of time before we caught on and investigated. At first we suspected someone else who'd also begun going out during the evenings, but when the guard mentioned that a new servant girl had started her nightly routes at the exact same time my men started missing, we decided to give you a try first. Gaoran recognized you immediately, of course."

He crouched back down and looked her sternly in the face. "I thought you gave up on revenge. Why were you silencing my men?"

Sakura panicked. Should she mention her brother? He was already safely home in the South… hopefully, but maybe that would still put him in too much unnecessary danger. "I…" she stuttered. "I…"

Dairan reached out and stroked the side of her face with the back of his fingers. It was all Sakura could do not to vomit. "Don't lie to me," he whispered in a low, soothing voice.

"I wanted to make things as difficult for Gaoran as possible," she blurted out, still frantic and making things up. "I couldn't kill him… but I could at least make things troublesome for him before I left. The night you caught me I was supposed to be meeting my brother in the village, since he'd been arranging transportation for us to go home. I found out that that Mayumi servant girl was working for the two of you and so I followed her. Those men appeared to be messengers, so I simply knocked them unconscious and left them to be found by thieves."

"Is that all?" he murmured, his hand not stopping its repulsive stroking motion.

Sakura sucked in a shaky breath. "I… yes, that's all."

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" he teased gently, pulling away. Sakura could barely hide her sigh of relief at the loss of physical contact. "Why don't we end here for today? I have some business with my mother, and I'm sure you're tired. And think on it, won't you?"

She looked up at him blankly.

"Well, even if I convinced Gaoran to let you live, we wouldn't be able to let you go. But still, if you're very cooperative, then maybe you can live. Think on it, Blossom."

Sakura reached up and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The movement seemed to catch Dairan's attention, though she didn't see why. He was staring at her in disbelief. "I'll um… think on it," she said, slightly bewildered.

Suddenly, the second Li brother made a wild movement and snatched her hand, pulling it up closer to his face to see.

"W-What are you-"

"Tsukishiro Sakura," Dairan hissed.

The blood drained out of her face. Her ring. She'd been wearing her ring.

Sakura's expression turned stony and she forcefully snatched her hand from his. The effort it took, she knew, would leave bruises. "It was the easiest way to get near to the two of you. Granted, I do feel bad for Syaoran, since he's such a nice boy, but your eldest brother's death was my highest priority."

"I recognize your face now," Dairan said, scowling. "That girl who'd been in the library. That's how you found out about Mayumi. How much does my brother know?"

She deliberated for a few seconds before sighing. "In the end I felt bad for him, okay? I told you that I'd been planning on leaving, and it was true. Only, my reasons were not limited only to fear, but also to guilt. Syaoran is a nice boy and you two had better keep your hands off of him. He's smart, granted, but he simply adores me. That sort of devotion leaves him blind to a lot of things."

"You aren't try to convince me that he's clueless to what you've been up to?"

Sakura's anxiety rose. She'd tried so hard to keep Syaoran out of this! "I was able to keep him in the dark for a long time," she admitted. "But I'm sure that he was beginning to realize that I was up to something. He was very kind to me though… never forced me to answer any questions, so it came as quite a shock to him when I told him who I was."

"He even hid you from me," Dairan growled. "That auburn-haired girl in that old room with him was you!"

Sakura flushed. "He found me while I was running and didn't ask questions."

"Unfortunately for you," he snarled, and Sakura recoiled violently, playing up her distress. If she was going to get him to underestimate her, then she was going to have to go the whole way. "That little brother of mine has been in on our plans for a while now. He must have been pretty taken with you to keep quiet."

Sakura looked away. "I told you that I was leaving that night. It was supposed to be over. I don't care anymore. Syaoran chose to let me leave alive. That was good enough."

Dairan nodded. "I understand now. That's why Syaoran suddenly announced the breaking off of his engagement."

Her heart stopped. What? Sakura shook herself. This had to be a part of the plan to rescue her. Plus, it would be better not to take Dairan at his word.

He noticed her startled expression. The proud male smirked. "Hadn't you heard? Syaoran cancelled his engagement this morning. He isn't making any effort to get you back."

"I thought you had an appointment to keep," she threw back at him, sniffing.

"I do, but I'm taking that jewel with me. I'm afraid that, as pretty as you are, you are not fit for that ring."

Did she have any choice? Rather than having him force it off of her himself, Sakura reluctantly slipped her engagement ring off and gave it to him.

"Tsukishiro Sakura was actually Kinomoto Sakura… well, at least we know who your contact is now," Dairan said while looking the small object over. "If you're good, we might consider being kind to that young guardian of yours."

Sakura frowned. "Guardian…?" Emerald eyes widened. "Y-Yuki…"

"Tsukishiro Yukito-kun. It's a shame that he turned out to be a traitor to the North. Now, you will behave yourself, won't you, Blossom?"

Sakura nodded numbly. They were fools if they thought they could threaten him directly, but maybe a slit throat during the night… she shivered and her heart clenched. No!! Dairan petted her head and she did not even react. "There's a good girl," he whispered coaxingly. "I'll see you again later."

Sakura stared at the shoji doors motionlessly after he'd left. What had she done?

--

Syaoran drummed his fingers furiously against the wood of the long table. The only reason he was still in the room was because his mother had officially ordered both Gaoran and Dairan to be there, and, seeing as they were Sakura's most likely kidnappers, it was to his benefit to attend the meeting as well.

The doors sprang open and Dairan waltzed gracefully into the room. "I apologize for being late," he said grandly, taking a seat next to his eldest brother, across from his youngest. "I had some unfinished business to take care of."

"That is no excuse, Dairan," Yelan said coldly, her tone clipped. "See to it that it does not happen again. I declare that this meeting has commenced. Dukes and Lords of the North, I have called you here this morning to discuss the progress of our dispute with the South. General Fujimoto."

Amber eyes slid unwillingly from the forms of his brothers over to the tall, muscular man who had risen to give his report. "The situation has quieted down immensely in the past few months, and for inexplicable reasons, any and all raids from the South have ceased as of last week. My men, however," he said, his tone becoming more serious. "Captured a group of fighters we had previously assumed were from the South. After some investigation, we found that those fighters were comprised of mercenaries obtained from China, and of some migrant, Northern samurai." The general's dark eyes flashed. "They claimed, and I now have proof supporting their allegations, that they were hired by nobles in the North to attack our own troops and villages."

His words caused an immediate uproar amongst the various high-ranking officials and aristocrats in the room. Syaoran's eyes narrowed as Gaoran remained expressionless and Dairan exclaimed, "What disturbing news!" Some of the men he knew were their supporters, however, did not compose themselves so well. There was a great deal of angry shouts and sweating.

"And what proof is it that you obtained?" Yelan asked smoothly, her red mouth curving downwards in distaste. "It is a dark day for us indeed if the North has been wrongfully blaming the fight on the South."

"Several of the fighters carried on them weapons not from the North's main army, where weapons could have been raided from, but from the personal wares of various Northern nobles."

"Stolen!" one elderly, dragon-like man rasped. "If that is the only evidence you-"

"As well as," Yelan cut in. "Several letters to these fighters, which my men intercepted. They bear on them the personal seals of several people in this room." Her words hung dangerously in the air, and Syaoran's eyes narrowed as the guilty fidgeting began again. They had agreed ahead of time to make no acknowledgment of his brothers' involvement in the affair. It was better for the two of them to still feel safe than to alert them, especially when Sakura was missing.

Sakura…

Syaoran gritted his teeth. She had better be safe.

"Well?" Andou's father stated, leaning onto the table and folding his arms. "Let us see them then."

"I believe I speak for us all when I say that it is not the North's desire to cause war, nor is it our desire to disrupt the balance of power," Syaoran's mother said imperiously, staring coolly at every noble in the room, as if daring him to argue back. "There are two names, which I choose to denounce tonight. These men I have personally investigated and have found have committed the highest, most atrocious of war crimes against our own North. General, if you please."

The dark-haired man threw down two thick letters, which were unrolled. It plain sight for everyone to see were the seals of the Sakamura clan head and the Tennoji clan head. There was absolute silence for a good few seconds as everyone stared at the papers in horror.

"I think that you will find those authentic," Yue said coldly from his corner of the table. I oversaw these two particular investigations myself."

"This is preposterous! YOU!" Sakamura hollered, red in the face and rising from his seat, his chubby finger pointed straight at the Academy's headmistress. "This is all a plot by you isn't it?! Why is it you have revealed only our names – no! My seal has been stolen! This is all a setup! This is-"

"You will be silent," Syaoran said, sending the older man a glare that froze him to the spot. "How dare you accuse my honorable mother of such treachery when you yourself are the traitor."

"Or are you accusing the Li family of taking bribes? I can assure you, we are in need of no monetary assistance," Gaoran said coolly, turning against his former comrade. His crooked smile was full of menace, and Sakamura cowered. "The Li Clan is not made of weaklings like you."

"Have you nothing to say for yourself, Tennoji?" the general asked grimly to the man seated right next to him.

"I also demand to know why you have not decided to reveal every name you obtained immediately," Tennoji said, his eyes wide with fury as he stared at the letters on the table. "What is it you intend, Yelan-sama?"

"It is not my intention to overturn the nobility of the North," she responded silkily. "Of course the two of you, as nobles, will have a fair trial. Your crimes, which I deemed were the highest and unable to overlook have been revealed tonight. As for the rest." Her cold stare was back. "I advise you to drop whatever traitorous notions you have immediately. If my sources hear even so much as a grumble or peep from your fighters, there will be hell to pay."

Syaoran shivered, half in fear and half in appreciation of his mother's terrible presence. At least they'd gotten the point across.

Gaoran opened his mouth to speak, but was jabbed in the side by Dairan. The movement itself was small, and attracted almost no attention as everyone was still focused on the two letters are their authors, but Syaoran noticed. His heart froze when he saw a flash of red as Dairan show his brother a small object. The ring.

As soon as the conference ended, Syaoran went straight to the two of his brothers. They were waiting for him. "I hope you choose to bestow your affections upon someone a bit more worthy next time," Gaoran drawled, throwing the ring back into his hands. "That girl is-"

"I know," Syaoran said, glaring.

"I know that you thought she left for home last night, but we've invited your ex-fiancée over to our place for a little chat. You don't mind of course, now that you know what a little liar she is," Dairan said, smirk on his face.

Amber eyes stared coolly into brown ones. Sakura had obviously spun a story for the two of them. He had to catch onto it quickly or she could be punished for his slip-ups. "Let her go. I chose to let her go free, so don't interfere. She no longer has anything to do with the two of you. Her silence will be kept."

His second eldest brother laughed. "Still have a soft spot for our little Blossom, I see. Well, I think it's about time that you fully joined us. Things have not gone so smoothly, and there is much to discuss with you."

Syaoran's gaze narrowed. "I see."

Gaoran crossed his arms. "We will talk about your precious Kinomoto girl later. Dairan, go check on the prisoner and get some more answers out of her while I introduce Syaoran to his new command."

--

Sakura felt her anxiety rise as she watched Dairan walk back into the room once again. She'd been given a few hours to think about all possible ways to escape, and still she had nothing. Rescue was a possibility, of course, but at what cost? Sakura didn't want to find out.

"Did you miss me, Blossom?" the tall male asked, smirking crookedly down at her.

Sakura forced herself to keep a straight face. "I don't really appreciate the company you've left for me," she retorted sarcastically.

"Now, now; don't be so upset. You were the one who forced Mayumi into this position after all. With all of her messengers missing and her face seen by you, there weren't many jobs left for me to assign her to," Dairan answered, his smirk growing wider.

They had assigned Mayumi to watch over her in their absence, and the servant girl had made the very most of it by throwing insults at Sakura at every opportunity. There was definitely some bitterness there with regard to her loss of favor with her masters, but Sakura had paid her little attention. There were more important things to worry about. In fact, she was just glad that Mayumi didn't seem to recognize her as Kino Kura.

"What is it you want from me exactly?" she asked with a sigh.

Dairan cracked his neck and stretched, sitting down on the chair, completely at ease. "Well, at the moment, Gaoran and I are seeing if our little brother still desires to keep you as a pet or not-"

"He doesn't," Sakura cut in.

Her captor merely smirked and shrugged. "We shall see. You might just become useful if your presence can keep Syaoran in line. In that case, maybe it won't be so difficult to convince my older brother to keep you alive, after all." He winked at her. "If you're very good and Syaoran remains infatuated, then maybe we'll even let you have a bit of freedom too."

Sakura, unable to help herself, blanched.

The door slid open right then, and to both of the occupants' surprises, Gaoran and Syaoran walked in. Dairan stood immediately, frowning. "Why have you brought him here, Gaoran?"

The eldest son of the Li family crossed his arms and stared calculatingly at Sakura. "Syaoran said that he wanted to see her, and quite honestly, I'm curious as to what his reaction will be. He's been very cooperative about the new tasks that I've assigned him."

"Gaoran, do you really-" Dairan was cut off by a wave of his brother's hand.

"Silence Dairan."

"Do I get to speak with her alone?" Syaoran asked, his gaze fixed on the only female occupant of the room.

"No."

The Li heir growled irritably, but stared down at Sakura. She could recognize the relief in his eyes even though he kept his face serious and his emotions in check.

"So this is what you get in the end," Syaoran said slowly, staring at her as if seeing her for the first time. "I suppose that it's what you deserve."

Sakura knew that she was supposed to be putting on an act for the brothers, but it was so hard when all she wanted to do was reach up and touch him. "I am sorry for whatever grief I might have caused you," she said in a clipped tone. "For all that you're related to that bastard in the corner, you were nothing but good to me. It is too bad that things had to turn out this way."

"I was… fond of you," he replied, scrutinizing her carefully. "But it matters little now, I suppose. You're more of use as a hostage. Is that what you intend, Gaoran?"

"We will use her to the fullest, in replacement of her brother."

Syaoran nodded, taking it all in. "It would be an effective way to rekindle the sour feelings between our two regions. I was a bit concerned for your plan this afternoon Gaoran. Those nobles looked so very nervous at the sight of those letters."

Sakura's mind raced. The plan they had discussed earlier was already being put into action. Yelan-sama had already revealed some of the head nobles supporting Gaoran, and was trying to cause the others to fall away.

"It is not necessary to discuss those things in front of-"

"She doesn't know what we're talking about," Syaoran said to Dairan dismissively. The instructor of the gentleman's class turned red.

"You need not be concerned about those weaklings," Gaoran said, paying no attention to Dairan. "Our plans are not so simple that they can be affected by the likes of them. I am more concerned about other matters, but if you're done speaking with the prisoner then perhaps we should leave."

"Not just yet," Syaoran said swiftly, turning back to her. Drawing a deep breath, he asked her, "You no longer have any more plans for the future, do you? You're all alone now. I've been told that even that brother of yours has left."

Sakura translated his words in her head quickly. Plans for the future… plans for the future… alone… Do you have a plan? Can you get out alone?

She shook her head and glared. "I have nothing now. If circumstances were different, then… well, as you can see, I'm reduced to this, now."

I've got nothing. I need you to tweak the situation.

Syaoran nodded. "Gaoran," he said, not lifting his gaze from her. "For all that she is your prisoner, do not mistreat her. I have no desire to see someone I once elevated to almost my equal be diminished so completely. It's sickening."

"We shall see, otouto."

"Fine. I will come to see you again later," he told her, turning and motioning for his brothers to follow. "Let us go then. I believe you said that there were some things you wanted me to see."

"Wait!" she called, causing all three of them to pause. Syaoran gaze at her over his shoulder. "What is it?" he asked almost impatiently.

"Don't hurt Yukito-san," she whispered. Take care of him, Syaoran! They know! "He had no idea what was going on."

Her ex-fiancé rolled his eyes. "You ought to worry about yourself. You are the prisoner here."

Sakura sucked in a deep breath as she watched him go. She was putting him into such a tricky situation. She flopped down onto the futon as Mayumi walked back into the room, glaring daggers at her just as fiercely as before.

Well, all she could do at the moment was think.

That night, a guard called her jail keeper out of the room to talk. Sakura had been unable to sleep, and so when soft footsteps came to the window, she was alert immediately.

Her heart leapt when Eriol's sapphire eyes grinned at her from the small opening. She looked back over to the door nervously, making sure that Mayumi wasn't going to return soon.

"I've got it covered," he whispered. He lifted something up to the gap, and Sakura saw that it was a small, concealable dagger. Aiming, Eriol threw it, and it hit the wood of the post she was chained to. Sakura pulled it out and slipped it into her clothes.

The young spymaster shook his head. "They might search you," he mouthed, and then motioned towards the tatami mats under her. Sakura understood immediately. She pulled up one of the squares of flooring next to her, and slid the weapon under it. When she turned back to the window, he was gone.

Sakura swallowed nervously. Now what?

The door slid open and Mayumi returned, her watchful gaze on Sakura once again.

--

**Tsuzuku…**

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**I know this was super rushed, and I'm sorry, but I kind of _am _in a rush, so you'll just have to bear with me please!**

**Ahh… scrapped entire chapters to rewrite this one… my plot has changed… again. Let's see where this new train of thought takes me.**

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Otouto – younger brother

Okaa-sama – honored mother.


	35. Escape

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**Thank you all so much for being so patient with me even though I couldn't update last week. The Mexico Mission Trip was _amazing_ though, and I had a lot of fun. Basically, I went down with my church and together we built a house for a family in Mexico, which really needed it. Haha. **

**Anyhow, this is the "exciting" chapter I promised you guys, so here it is - enjoy!**

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Thirty Five**

--

Syaoran glared pointedly at his mother, who was staring coolly right back at him. In the past few days, many of the nobles had seemingly taken their advice and had dropped all personal communication with both his brothers and their troops and other support groups; Mizuki-sensei had reported back that they had successfully sealed off all the ports so that overseas mercenaries could no longer come to Gaoran's aid. Everything was going as planned – so why was his mother not budging?

"I still do not understand what you mean, Okaa-sama," he said slowly, his seething anger barely concealed. "Why can we not go rescue Sakura immediately?"

The Academy's headmistress sighed and folded her hands, meeting his gaze without hesitation. "I told you before, Syaoran. Unless Sakura is capable of escaping by herself, we cannot take the risk of-"

"She is my fiancée!" He roared furiously before shutting his eyes and forcing himself to become more composed. "I apologize," he said in a strained, yet slightly more contained voice. "All things taken into consideration," Syaoran began again, "rescuing Sakura would not be a difficult endeavor. What more, given our current shaky position with the South, should anything happen to her while she is still here, I cannot help but think that there would be fierce retaliation from the South."

"You are also aware that until we can take Gaoran and Dairan into custody, we must have them believe that we are all still completely unaware of their plans and that you are one of their comrades. If Sakura were to go missing suddenly and it was clear that she had outside aid, the one who would suffer, if we were to keep your involvement a secret, would be Tsukishiro-san. It is much more dangerous for them to go into hiding than it is for her to merely remain there," his mother stated softly. "It is not that I do not understand your feelings, but I'm afraid that there is too much at stake at the moment. Sakura-san's safety is guaranteed so long as they are confident of your cooperation."

Syaoran struggled to keep his face from contorting in rage. "Sakura has done so much for this cause already, why-"

"This is not a 'cause', Syaoran, and I think it is time that you realized that I am thinking on behalf of Sakura-san," Yelan cut in sternly. "What we are doing is not supporting a 'cause', as you so childishly put it. What we are doing is what we must do. Do you understand how many lives hang in the balance? Even if we were to go in and forcefully remove your fiancée immediately, what repercussions would those actions have? Do you honestly think Sakura-san would feel relieved to be back here if things went wrong? If I believed that her life was in immediate danger, trust me, my son, you would not need to prompt me to rescue her. She is a treasured family friend as well as my future daughter-in-law."

The young heir looked away. His mother's words were not unkind nor did they lack reason, and yet he knew he was going to have a hard time stomaching them. Every second Sakura was still locked in that room, his unease and worry grew. Not having her by his side was bad enough, but every time he imagined her at the mercy of his two brothers…

"You have somewhere to be," she said calmly. Reaching out, Yelan unrolled a scroll that had been lying on her desk and began looking it over. Syaoran bowed stiffly, but when he turned to leave, his mother called out to him.

"Syaoran," she said gently. "Our forces are going in and surveying all of your brothers' troops tonight. It will take some time because we cannot afford to overlook anything, but if all goes well, the two of them will be under house arrest by the end of this week. Do not waver now. We have only a little further to push."

Amber eyes shut, and Syaoran swallowed. He could hear the pain in his mother's words. Not that it wasn't difficult for him to turn against his own flesh and blood, but it did not hurt him as it did his mother to tighten the noose around Gaoran and Dairan's necks. In his concern for Sakura, he had forgotten what agony his mother was going through.

"I will not fail," he answered her softly before pulling the door open and exiting her chambers.

Outside, Eriol was waiting for him, his usual cheerfulness gone. Syaoran took one look at his expression and scowled. "What is it now?" he growled angrily.

"Don't be so testy," the spymaster said, sighing. "I came here to give you some good news actually. I've been checking up on Sakura every night, as promised, and other than some verbal abuse from that Mayumi girl, both of your brothers seem to be keeping their word; she is perfectly safe. If you can play your part right, Yue says that he's confident our forces can wrap Gaoran and Dairan's up within the week."

"If this is good news, then why is your expression so bleak?" Syaoran questioned pointedly.

Eriol scowled and ran an impatient hand through his hair. "Touya is having a difficult time in the South getting the nobles there to accept the situation. To them, your brothers are still Northerners, which means that the North initiated the war. If we were to look at our situation with the South, springing Sakura should happen tonight, but I'm afraid that, with the situation here, it would be impossible to do so. We need to keep the two of them from becoming too anxious."

"What of their men in the South? Will we be able to rein them in?"

Again the Syaoran's companion shook his head. "Their fighters down there are in completely hostile territory, so chances are we will be able to keep them in line fairly easily, but our main concern is the South's opinion. If more groups claiming to be from the main Northern front keep attacking, we may never be able to negotiate."

"What is it you need me to do? That's why you're here, isn't it?"

The sapphire-eyed male nodded. "Sharp as ever, Syaoran. You have been put in command of a majority of troops in the South, correct?"

"They both know how I feel about attacking my 'own' people," Syaoran scoffed. "Not that it makes much of a difference anymore. Those two are the real enemies."

"I thought for a long time about this, and I want you to convince them to let you move all your troops, including theirs if possible, to the seaport near the border. If the South can see Northern forces going down there and rounding the fighters up, perhaps they would be more willing to talk. Touya has sent word that since that area is under Kinomoto jurisdiction, he will be able to clear an area for our troops to go down without too much hindrance. There will be Southern forces there to watch, of course."

Syaoran frowned. "That's a tall order. I do not believe either of my brothers will be very willing to amass so many troops in one area. It's too risky."

"Do the best that you can. If everything goes well, Sakura will be back within the week."

Amber eyes narrowed. "Why do you still look guilty?"

Eriol's mouth tightened. "That I will discuss with you later. See this through first, and then we will talk," he responded slowly. "Good luck, Syaoran."

--

Sakura counted the seconds slowly in her head. Usually whenever Mayumi needed to leave the room, the male guard who was outside would send for a second guard to watch her inside the room. However, she'd noticed that once every evening, Mayumi would leave for approximately thirty minutes and no one would be sent into the room. In fact, Sakura suspected that during those thirty minutes, there was no guard outside at all. The door was always locked, and the entire hall silent.

Mayumi and the guard were likely either seeing each other or plotting something together, which was why they could not ask anyone else to stand in. Whatever the reason, Sakura quickly realized that it was her best chance for escape.

After the night he'd given her the dagger, Eriol would appear by the window occasionally, but only for a few brief seconds before disappearing. At first, Sakura had thought that he was aware of Mayumi's nightly trips, but he would show up sometimes even while she was still in the room. At that angle, her keeper did not notice him, and Sakura guessed that he was merely checking up on her since he never made any effort to communicate anything to her. She was on her own.

She wouldn't be able to escape immediately… Sakura still had no idea if there were other guards in the vicinity or even what building she was in… or if that building was in the Academy at all. Syaoran had only stopped in to visit her once since their initial meeting over a week ago, and Sakura was beginning to grow anxious. What were they planning at the moment? How was the war going – what were those brothers forcing Syaoran to do?

Mayumi glanced up as a soft knock came at the door and stood. "Be a good girl while I'm gone," she sneered at Sakura before letting herself out of the room.

The emerald-eyed female couldn't help herself as a smirk spread across her lips. She waited until the sound of Mayumi and the guard's footsteps could no longer be heard before lifting the tatami mat she'd hidden Eriol's gift under and pulling out a dagger, as well as a key. The poor servant girl had a habit of dozing off occasionally, and Sakura had stolen it off her person yesterday. There had been quite a panic this morning when Mayumi realized it was gone, but since Sakura had hidden it quite well, the brunette was under the impression that she must have dropped it somewhere. Lucky Sakura.

Quickly freeing herself from the chains, Sakura flexed her leg experimentally. It was nice to finally be free of her shackles. The young female arranged her bed so that the blanket was bunched up and covering the small pillow just in case anyone wanted to peek in on her. It wouldn't do much, but at least if anything went wrong it should buy her some time. Getting up she went over to the window and peeked outside. First things first, she needed to know exactly where she was. Emerald eyes widened a fraction when she realized that one, the scenery that faced her definitely did not belong inside of the Academy, and that two, she had no idea where this was.

Sakura smacked her forehead against the metal bars gently. Of course, if she was still in the Academy, they would have rescued her long ago. This was going to be more difficult than she thought. Peeling herself away from the window, Sakura went over to the door. It was locked, as she had expected, probably by a wooden post on the other side. Well, that could be taken care of easily enough.

She took a couple steps back and gave the wooden door a good kick to loosen it up before going and lifting it up. It took a bit of time because it was rather heavy, but Sakura managed to pull it away from its slots in the ground and ceiling and removed the sliding door from the wall entirely.

Sakura was panting slightly from the effort, but she grinned widely at her handiwork. Checking quickly to make sure that no one was coming, Sakura quickly replaced the door and lock from the outside and stole stealthily down the hall.

Tonight's agenda was simply finding the exit to this place… if possible. Chances were she was going to run into someone else first and then have to hide, but if all went well, Sakura wanted to be able to secure the exit for later on. She scowled. Actually, she would have liked to have been looking for her sword, but unfortunately it was likely on Gaoran's person, and so that was out of the question.

She paused… or maybe not? But still, it was more likely that, even if he couldn't openly carry it around the Academy, it would be in his personal quarters at the school. Still… if there was even the slightest chance…

Sakura bit her lip and counted. How much time had passed already? Ten minutes? She was still safe… for the moment. Should she risk it?

Emerald eyes surveyed the empty hall around her. There were several doors lined up on either side. No other way to go about this, but to check them one by one. Shifting so that her back was against the wall, Sakura slid the first door to her left open silently. There was no light coming from inside, so it was probably empty, but Sakura peered in quietly first, just to be safe. It was empty.

At a glance, Sakura saw that the room was basically a large table in the center surrounded by a group of messily placed chairs. She guessed that it was the room where the guards and servants met to take a break. A swift scan confirmed her suspicions. Her sword wasn't there.

She moved from room to room relatively swiftly, and since her "cell" had been at the end of the hall, Sakura was fairly confident that she wouldn't miss anything. Upon sliding open the eleventh door, however, Sakura froze.

"So, same place same time tomorrow night Souji-kun?" a female voice cooed.

It was Mayumi. Sakura panicked. Had half an hour passed already? They were early! Of all the days to suddenly decide…

She looked back towards her room frantically. Could she make it back there in time? Maybe if she ran her fastest, then-

Sakura reminded herself not to scream when a pair of arms reached out from the darkness of the room she'd been about to check. They grabbed her and pulled her into the room, one sliding swiftly over her mouth and the other shutting the door behind her quietly.

"Shh!" a deep voiced hissed next to her ear and Sakura relaxed immediately.

"Syaoran!" she sighed with relief, pulling his hand off of her mouth.

Her captor was not amused. "I thought I told you to be quiet?" he murmured softly, but although his tone was admonishing, warm lips found their way to the side of her cheek and kissed her there.

Sakura sighed contentedly in his arms and leaned against her lover's chest. She looked up at him, her emerald eyes quickly adjusting to the lack of light. "It's about time you came to help me," she said, scowling up at him playfully. "While the dagger Eriol passed to me was nice, it wouldn't really come in handy if I was surrounded."

Syaoran nudged her into a sitting position as the shadows of the guard and Mayumi passed by. "I'm afraid that we don't have time for this right now," he told her gruffly, but his amber eyes were unable to hide their relief. "I hadn't expected to get to you so easily, but now I can go join the second party. We need to move. Some of our men are outside waiting for my signal."

Sakura frowned. "Where will you be going?"

"We'll talk while we run," he told her shortly. Sliding open the door, Syaoran checked the hall quickly before pulling her out into the brightly lit passageway. The two of them ran through the building quickly, since Syaoran knew the way to the exit, but Sakura was still surprised that they didn't meet any resistance along the way.

"I took care of most of the guard earlier," he answered as they came upon the building's main entrance. "We're currently on the outskirts of the town. Yukito-san is here, and you can go stay with him while-"

"While you go do what, exactly?" Sakura asked, her eye narrowing on him suspiciously.

Next to her, Syaoran sighed. They were out in the open now, and a group of well-armed men led by an anxious Tsukishiro clan head rushed forward. "Look," he said to her, not smiling. "Just go with Yukito-san back to the Academy where it's safe."

"And just where do you think you will be going while I'm 'safe'?" she questioned him angrily. "Don't leave me out of the loop, Syaoran."

Amber eyes smoldered with irritation. "I do not have time for this, Sakura. I refused to not head your rescue, which is why I'm here, but now that I know that you are safe I-"

"Safe! Again! Since when have I ever been safe?" she shrieked at him, her frustration and anger mounting. "You're going after your brothers, aren't you?" she guessed. "Don't you dare leave me behind."

The anxiety in him grew. She was finally safe, and now she wanted to go rush towards where more danger was? Why couldn't she understand that he had to be there – had to be the one to put an end to this?

"Syaoran!" she repeated. "I'm going to go with you, okay? I am more than capable of watching myself, and I won't get in your-"

"Going after my brothers is none of your concern!" he roared right back at her. At his words, Sakura's expression went carefully blank and they both fell silent.

The kenjutsu instructor and his men looked nervously at one another, but wisely kept silent as well.

Syaoran took one look at her face and immediately regretted his words. "Sakura…" he murmured, reaching out to touch her. "Sakura, look, I-"

She flinched away from his fingers. "I was just worried about you," she whispered.

He sighed and took hold of her hand, refusing to let her pull away even when she tried. Her head was bowed and she wasn't looking up at him. "You don't need to worry about me," Syaoran said to her softly. "I can take care of myself."

"Of course you can," she replied in the same, detached voice. "You are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself."

Syaoran decided very quickly that he did not like the way she had said that, but he was pressed for time. "Go with Yukito-san for now. We will talk about this again afterwards, okay Sakura?" Letting go of her right hand, Syaoran reached up to tilt her chin upwards, and he gave her a swift kiss. "I will not be long."

She nodded mutely, her eyes still not meeting his. Syaoran sighed, but looked up and nodded at Yukito. "Take her back to the Academy for me, would you?"

"Of course. You'd better hurry if you want to catch up with Yue's group. They're probably about to ambush them right now."

The amber-eyed male nodded once again before turning and racing away.

Sakura stared after him dejectedly. Her unfinished words still hung ominously in the air. You are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. You don't need me to do that for you. You might just not need me at all.

She shook herself and forced a smile for the men who'd come to rescue her. She knew that wasn't true at all. Syaoran loved her very much, and was simply worried about her safety. Heck, he must have been worried sick for the past few weeks and certainly she couldn't begrudge him something like this simply because she wanted to be there with him. He'd almost given up his duty as the next Li Clan leader just to save her… she shouldn't be feeling this way. This was ridiculous.

"Shall we go then?" Yukito-san asked her encouragingly.

Sakura smiled at him softly. "Arigatou, Yukito-san," she said. "Yes, let's go."

Her emerald eyes gazed up at his kind expression and then over to the men behind him. "Did we really need so many men to escort us though?" she asked teasingly. "Not that I don't appreciate all your efforts," Sakura added quickly, so as not to offend them.

Some of the men laughed and Yukito grinned at her, winking. "Syaoran was very insistent about keeping you well-guarded, and the results are standing before you."

Sakura giggled slightly and looked around the area. They were surrounded by trees and, other than the building to her back, there seemed to be no other houses nearby. "I wonder what section of the town we're in," she commented absentmindedly. "I've never been past the…"

Her gaze fell on something glinting in the woods. It was an arrow. Sakura screamed, "Yukito-san! Watch out!" Running, she threw herself onto her startled guardian and pushed him to the ground, the arrow aimed at him just barely grazing her shoulder.

Instantly, everyone was alert and swords were drawn as a group of fighters charged in at them. Sakura and her former teacher were on their feet immediately, watching the fighting commence. Yukito pulled her behind him swiftly and pulled his own blade from its sheath. "Stay near me, Sakura-chan," he said in a low voice, backing her into the wall. "You don't have a sword, so don't even think about joining the battle."

Sakura was too busy watching her rescuers defend themselves to argue with him. They seemed fairly equal in numbers, but Sakura's heart fell whenever she saw one of their men go down.

All of a sudden, someone ran at the two of them from the side, and engaged Yukito-san in battle. Sakura's dagger was out and in front of her, but she felt increasingly powerless as she watched her friend fight. It soon became painfully obvious to her that the Academy's kenjutsu master was losing. Sakura stared, slightly in shock as a very familiar scene played out before her once again. Only this time, her manservant, Sousuke's, face was replaced with someone else's… Yukito-san. It was several seconds before she realized that the attacker was one and the same – Li Gaoran.

Sakura shook herself from the nightmare quickly and shifted, watching for an opening to assist her former teacher. In Gaoran's hand was Shirobana, her Clow blade, and he wielded it expertly against Yukito, bearing down on him mercilessly.

She let out an ear-piercing scream when her sword locked with its opponent and then sent Yukito-san's sword flying. Gaoran did not even pause has he continued that one, fluid motion, and slid his blade straight through the silver-haired male's stomach.

Sakura could only stare at the scene before her in horror. For a few seconds, she nearly lost her mind; the position of Yukito-san on the floor was so similar to that of her father's when she had found him that fateful night - but she forced herself out of the darkness once again.

"YUKITO-SAN!!" she screamed, rushing over to his side.

Next to the fallen kenjutsu master's body, Gaoran smirked and withdrew his blade from his victim's body, spraying her in a mist of her friend's blood. The scream that Yukito emitted was too terrible for her to bear. "Yukito-san!" she gasped, reaching towards him.

Emerald pupils dilated with the enormity of it all. Her pale fingers trembled as they stared at the liquid splotches coloring them, bright red on white. An instinctive notion in her head continued to nudge her, reminding her that the enemy was just two steps away, but as Sakura stared at her precious teacher's convulsing form, it was all she could do to simply remember to breathe. Was he… going to…

"I'm afraid that you're going to have to come with me, Blossom," Gaoran said darkly, stepping in front of her.

"Sa…ku…" Yukito croaked weakly from the ground. "No…"

"Get out of my way," she shrieked, her eyes full of fury. If she didn't hurry, then Yukito-san might… he might…

Refusing to even think about it, Sakura raised her dagger and slashed wildly at the tall man in front of her. It was deflected easily, however, and the butt of a sword's hilt came up and smashed forcefully into her gut. Sakura fell to the ground, curled up in pain, dark blotches darkening her vision as she watched Gaoran advance upon her.

A second figure entered her blurred vision suddenly to stand in front of her, and Sakura was vaguely aware that it was someone from their side. Her heart leapt with horror as the man was cut down in front of her. The pounding in her chest increased as the same figure stood once again to block the way, and was cut down once more. He stood up a third time.

"NO!" she whimpered from the ground. "No! Don't-don't-!!"

Her vision was blurred completely this time by tears as Gaoran swung at the man's neck.

She was sobbing and hissing and screaming at Gaoran as he lifted her up from the ground and dragged her to her feet by the collar of her yukata. "Now be good, Blossom," he hissed amusedly into her ear. "And follow me."

She didn't even respond as her eyes looked frantically at the two fallen bodies near her. The young man who had defended her… had done so at the cost of his life, she looked away from his bloodied figure swiftly, unable to stomach the horrendous scene, and moved on to Yukito-san's. She couldn't tell… was he dead? Alive? How much longer did he have?

Gaoran grabbed a fistful of her hair this time and began pulling her away from the clearing into the trees. Sakura fought him frantically all the way, ignoring the searing pain in her scalp as she tried to go back to where all those men were still fighting for their lives. When they were so far away that she could no longer see them, however, she gave up and turned her broken focus over to the despicable man who was still towing her by her auburn tresses.

"I am going to send you into the deepest reaches of hell," she hissed furiously, stumbling along after him. "I'm going to see to it that the devil himself oversees your eternal torture personally."

His response was to give her hair another good yank, and this time Sakura felt the pain as several strands left her scalp. "Bastard," she spat.

"My youngest brother seems to have been planning against me all along, you dirty little whore," Gaoran said, his voice strangely calm. It sent a shiver down her spine. "My plans are going to have to be altered a bit, but you are going to make everything happen. His affection and dependence on you is real enough. I will make use of it."

Sakura glowered at the back of his head, but inside, she felt her heart falling. Things were going so wrong. Yukito-san… that boy who'd defended her… The tears came so fast that they were impossible to blink away.

"Stop sniveling," he hissed coldly. "Try to look at least somewhat decent by the time my precious youngest brother sees you. We wouldn't want to change his mind all of a sudden, would we?"

At his words, Sakura's mind involuntarily jumped to their cancelled engagement. It sent a strange, uneasy quiver through her. She did not have much time to dwell upon it, however, as they came to a clearing where Sakura could see many fighters had gathered. She spotted Yue and Eriol in the crowd. They seemed to take notice of the two of them in the same instant as well.

"The spymaster only, if you please, and unarmed," Gaoran warned, Shirobana sliding dangerously close to Sakura's neck as he pulled her up for everyone to see. "I doubt you'd like my hand to slip. We all know what the South's reaction would be to the loss of one of their most prized princesses."

The men froze and Eriol nodded quickly, obliging Gaoran by walking up to the two of them, alone. "Eriol!" she cried, and the sapphire-eyed male's attention was immediately on her. "Yukito-san! He-"

"That will be enough whimpering from you, wench," Gaoran commanded, pulling her closer against him and the edge of the blade closer to her throat.

"Don't worry, Sakura-san," Eriol said encouragingly, smiling his brightest at her. "Everything will be okay."

Teary-eyed, Sakura nodded and whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be ridiculous," he answered, turning to Gaoran with a dark look. "The one who should be apologizing most certainly is not you. What are your demands, Gaoran?"

"I must admit," the older male commented, looking perfectly at ease. "I never suspected that you would be given the post of spymaster. I should have known, you were always an impressive child."

Eriol smiled, but it did not quite reach his eyes. "Perhaps we ought to save the pleasantries for another time."

"Very well," Gaoran agreed, curving the edge of the sword so that a single trickle of blood began flowing from her neck. "Let's talk. Where are my brothers?"

"Right here."

All three of them turned, and Sakura felt a lump rise to her throat. A slightly bloody Syaoran trudged through the field towards where they were standing, and behind him he was towing an only semi-conscious-looking Dairan who was even bloodier than he.

"Let her go you bastard," he growled angrily.

"Now, now, I believe that you were taught better than that," Gaoran said, his eyes flashing. "During negotiations, it's best not to anger the one you're trying to bargain with. I would watch your language a bit more, if I were you."

"Cut the crap, Gaoran. You're hardly in a position to negotiate. Your army has been defeated, your nobles have fled, all you have is one, single hostage. I will spare Dairan's life and return him to you in exchange for Sakura," Syaoran stated clearly, pulling his beaten brother up by his collar and gesturing towards him.

Gaoran laughed.

Eriol sighed and Sakura could have sworn he said something along the lines of, "I hate it when he's happy."

"Not a bad assessment of the situation, Syaoran," the eldest Li son commended. "However, your thinking is flawed. All of that only applies so long as I desire to retrieve that bruised brother of mine."

Amber eyes flashed. "That's why he was so easy to get to, wasn't it? You abandoned him didn't you, you bastard?" he growled furiously. "All that crap about family was-"

"I wouldn't go so far as to call it a lie per se," Gaoran interrupted conversationally. "I wouldn't mind helping Dairan out, except my situation, unfortunately, does not make that quite possible. I know what's on the tip of your tongue, otouto. She's just one girl. True, as your fiancée only, this disgusting Blossom isn't worth much as a hostage…" He gave her head a fierce yank, and Sakura cried out in pain. Syaoran looked ready to murder him on the spot. "…but I'm afraid that you'll find she's worth quite a bit as Kinomoto Sakura, the noble lady from the South. I'm positive her precious older brother would be willing to trade quite a bit for her life. Her value as a condition for peace also should not be underestimated. Yes, I've picked a rather valuable hostage, I think."

Syaoran looked livid, but Eriol stepped in pacifyingly. "So what is it that you propose, Gaoran?"

"I want my men released – all of them," he nodded in Dairan's direction. "And I want one week of safe passage for my men and I to wherever we want."

Sakura, though completely still on the outside, was thinking frantically on the inside. For all that she had landed herself and everyone else into this position, she wasn't stupid. Even she realized the consequences of granting Gaoran his demands. One week of free passage and he would disappear, possibly out of the country. While there was a chance peace might simply settle in after his disappearance, Sakura seriously doubted that it would end there.

There was no other way. She had to think of something.

"Or," she added conversationally. "I could always bite my tongue or something like that. Then what value would my corpse have to you?"

"I could gag you," he responded just as smoothly. "Would that make you feel better, Blossom?"

The blade pressed closer to her and she hissed as it cut deeper into her skin. Syaoran's reaction was immediate. "Eriol," he said, the concern evident in his voice.

The young spymaster was openly glowering, but he seemed resigned as well. "Very well then. But I'm afraid that your one week of safe passage will need to have some conditions on it."

"You do not amuse me, boy," Gaoran growled.

"Don't be so hasty. We will do our best to secure your safety, but it must be understood that the North has no control over areas in the South and..."

Sakura stopped listening to the terms as Eriol began skillfully negotiating with Gaoran the terms of her release. A part of her guessed that he was simply trying to buy some time, and she was grateful for it. She needed all the time she could get to try and find a way out of her situation.

Syaoran's eyes were fixed on her now, and she met him hungrily gaze for gaze, drinking in all of him for what might be the last time. There was no way she was going to let this happen because of her, and if stopping it required doing something crazy that could cost her life, then so be it.

Sakura's mind raced. What could she use? What were her advantages over Gaoran? … did she have anything to work with at all? Her dagger was long gone, and trying to match him in strength was out of the question. If she could get her hands on her sword, Sakura was confident that she would at least be able to get away from him, but her Shirobana was currently held firmly in his large grip…

Emerald eyes widened. That was it. Shirobana was so impossibly light that it was impossible for Gaoran to have already become accustomed to it. He wasn't able to use it to its fullest, and in there Sakura had her advantage. She knew her sword.

All who wield the sword unworthily will be under a curse. Sakura really hoped that held true. Absentmindedly, she realized that if she was able to stop Gaoran, then she really would be like the warrior in Clow's scroll, using the blades to bring peace. She was no hero, but still… it was almost eerie.

Bracing herself, Sakura prepared herself for her gamble. Since he was grabbing her by her hair, her arms were technically free. It was going to hurt a whole hell of a lot when he tugged a couple more chunks of it off – inwardly, she winced at the mental picture – so she was going to have to brace herself for it. Were she to move her right limb, he would notice since it was pressed against his chest, but with her left she had some flexibility.

Making sure that his eyes were on Eriol, Sakura slipped her left hand up and lifted her right foot at the same time. Then, in one instant, she flipped the blade up so that it was aimed towards her forehead, ducked, and slammed her foot straight into Gaoran's crotch

There was a violent yell from behind her as Gaoran experienced a sort of pain only men would understand, but Sakura felt her heart fall as she realized his grip on her hadn't loosened despite his agony. To her surprise, however, the sword that swung angled down towards her just barely missed the top of her head - and cut straight through her hair, releasing her from him.

In one fluid motion, she turned around and chopped at the weak joint in his hand, causing him to drop her sword. She caught it deftly and rolled away from him, straight into Syaoran's waiting arms.

"You are an idiot," he hissed to her as he helped her to her feet. There was no more time for words, however, as Gaoran recovered swiftly and drew a second sword from his waist.

"That's what you get for underestimating me a third time," she called over to him tauntingly. Lifting her sword, she swung it in a wide arc, the move done in preparation for the Sakura dance. Syaoran recognized it instantly and scowled. "You really are an idiot."

"Remember what happened the last time you left me out?" she retorted sarcastically. "Um, let's see… we ended up in this situation?"

"Less bickering more fighting," Eriol commanded, backing up. "I'll go get the reinforcements and a sword."

Gaoran was beyond livid, and his entire face contorted with the fury that he felt. His sword was drawn and he advanced on the two of them swiftly.

Sakura took a deep breath and let her months of training kick in. "First step," she whispered, more out of habit than anything else, and the wide, intricate swirls of her blade began.

She moved around in her oddly patterned curves swiftly, and Syaoran quickly joined her in their dance. Gaoran paused for a moment, baffled by the formation he was faced with.

Emerald eyes darkened with anticipation. Alone, there was no way she could face him, but with Syaoran this was more than doable. "Swing me out there," she murmured to him as they crossed hands.

The expression on his face told her he was unwilling to send her out first, but he knew just as well as she did how effective their pas de deux could be. Shifting the weight to his center, Syaoran sent her twirling out to where Gaoran was, engaging him in their dance.

Sakura swung swiftly, her Shirobana singing light and smoothly in her hands. The long hours of practice slid in almost effortlessly, and her experience as a swordswoman smoothed over any uncertainties she had in her dance.

Gaoran's sword locked down upon hers, and even as she twisted away deftly, Sakura felt herself stagger slightly. Syaoran was there immediately, however, one arm pushing her elbow back up so that she was stepping in the other direction, and the other bringing his blade just as powerfully down upon Gaoran's.

"Clow's technique?" Gaoran spat hatefully. "You have been holding out on me indeed, Syaoran."

"I owe nothing to you," he replied coldly, engaging his older brother in a series of strong, heavy strokes that cut down upon the older male mercilessly.

"It is a waste to give the technique to her," the elder Li sneered. "What you see in that woman I cannot even begin to fathom."

Syaoran broke away, as if on cue, and once again grabbed Sakura's hand, swinging her in. "That is where you fall short, brother," he replied, almost sadly. "And this technique was made for her."

Sakura did not have time to ponder his words as she began the second step of the dance, and her partner joined her from the other side. Gaoran, in the center, put up a valiant fight, and there were several times Sakura just missed dying by his sword. The twists and curving movements, she soon realized, helped pull her out of harm's way at the very last moment.

Gaoran was outnumbered and outmatched. His chest was heaving with pants and his face drenched with perspiration by the time the two of them reached the third step. Holes opened up in his defense, and Sakura cut in mercilessly, drawing blood from her opponent swiftly. Syaoran did not hesitate either, although there was a strange, somber glint in his eye.

It was finished quickly, and by then, all of their men had formed a circle around their fight, watching with shock and excitement. Syaoran and Sakura's swords pressed down upon Gaoran's neck together, and he laid on the ground there, sword gone and defenseless.

Sakura stared at the fallen devil, willing herself to find the anger and hatred she needed to finish the job. For the second time, she was so close, and this time, no one, not even Syaoran, would say anything to stop her.

She gasped for air and her ears buzzed slightly from the loud cheers, but for some reason, her head felt strangely clear. Perfectly clear. She didn't even hesitate. Not even calling up images of her fallen family… even of Yukito-san could confuse her.

"The anger is still there," she stated coolly, glaring down at him. "But the hate is gone. You have no hold over me. Your life is Syaoran's alone to decide." With that, Sakura turned and left Syaoran there, his blade still pointed against his brother.

She went to stand with Eriol and was both surprised and a bit happy to see all of her friends from the Academy gathered there, some smeared in blood, but otherwise in one piece. They turned to see what Syaoran would do.

The young Li heir raised his sword into the air and swung down, stopping right above Gaoran's nose. The fallen man did not even blink, merely stared wordlessly up at his younger brother. He was utterly defeated and, Sakura suspected, barely conscious.

"As heir to the Li Clan, I hereby cut you off from the main family," Syaoran said coldly. "Your rights as nobility remain, but the Li name you bear no longer has any attachment to my household. For your crimes and transgressions, you are entitled to a trial before a full, noble-blooded court, and your punishment will be decided there. I, Li Syaoran, hereby take you into custody."

At his words, Eriol moved forward swiftly and began binding up Gaoran's limbs. He flinched in surprise, however, when Gaoran grabbed onto his arm. Gaoran's eyes weren't on him though, they were fixed on his younger brother. "Why don't you just do it, Syaoran?" he asked, daringly. "Just finish me off – or are you too noble to kill me?"

"Gag him too," Syaoran said dismissively, before moving over to where Sakura was waiting.

Amber met emerald intensely for one instant before he pulled her immediately into a hug and simply held her there. She understood how he felt completely. Sakura embraced him tightly and buried her face into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Syaoran," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry as well," he murmured back before pulling her away and kissing her fully on the mouth. There was plenty of hooting and whistling in the background, but it was at least a good half minute before the two of them pulled away from each other.

Words couldn't describe how relieved they were that the other was in one piece. Syaoran took her hand and held it tightly. "Eriol," she said, turning to the young man who was handing both Dairan and Gaoran over to Yue. "How is Yukito-san?"

Sapphire eyes were grim. "I'm afraid not all of our worries are over yet. I've had my men retrieve all the survivors and they're all currently undergoing intensive care from our medical team. The outcome is still… uncertain... There is one more thing, however—"

Sakura staggered, shutting down at the word "uncertain". Yukito-san… she didn't want him to die! If he… were he to… She looked up at her lover desperately.

Syaoran's face was full of fury and it wasn't until she woke from her momentary haze that she realized everyone was staring at her. Sakura swallowed, not understanding. "Sorry… did you say something else?" she asked. "I didn't hear."

She was tugged immediately to her lover's side and held there tightly. "Syaoran? What's going—"

He was seething. "Whcrat do you mean they want a trial for her too? If those old, decrepit, senile geezers even think to dare put a single—"

"What?" she whispered.

Eriol's eyes were apologetic. "You know I have no control over these things, Syaoran. Sakura will have my full support, as you already know."

Sakura blinked and her jaw dropped open slightly. She looked around at the many eyes staring at her before gazing back up to Syaoran who tore his gaze wrathfully away from his friend and looked down at her. "I won't let them hurt you," he promised.

Her head spun. "I'm being called to a trial?"

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**Tsuzuku…**

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**YES!! The writer's block has been overcome, and we're finally winding down to the final chapters! Once again, I apologize for not having updated last week, but I hope the wait was worth it. We're going to be plunging into either the last chapter or the one before the last chapter next week, so definitely review, okay?**

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otouto – younger brother

okaa-sama – honored mother

arigatou – thank you


	36. The Verdict

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of Clamp.**

**I'm sorry for missing last week's update, but I thank you all for being patient. **

**Well, here it is, the school year has officially started… so really, it's a very good thing that I'm almost done! I hope you've all been looking forward to this chapter… because I think we have only one more left – plus an epilogue, if I feel up to it. **

**Enjoy! **

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**Inscribed in the Blade**

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**Chapter Thirty Six**

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There was a stir as slowly the previously motionless figure lying on the futon began to move. Collectively, everyone present breathed a huge sigh of relief and some men quietly excused themselves from the room to inform the others of the development.

Sakura grasped the frighteningly white and thin hand in her own. Emerald eyes waited patiently until finally a pair of exhausted, blue-gray pupils tiredly met her own. Her eyes watered slightly. "Yukito-san," she whispered, horrified that he looked so deathly pale yet so, so, _so_ relieved he was finally conscious. Her grip tightened slightly. "Yukito-san, how are you feeling?"

The hand squeezed weakly back. "Please do not worry about me, Sakura-chan," he answered slowly and with effort. "You know that I would never leave you behind like that." His expression became a bit more solemn. "Even though I could not move, I have been listening to your conversations. Thank you for visiting me every day. More importantly though, you need to be strong today. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there with you."

Sakura stiffened slightly. As if she could forget what morning it was. Still, now wasn't the time to cause her injured friend any concern. "You do not need to worry about me either, Yukito-san. I will be fine. Just concentrate on getting well… please." The wet droplets threatened to spill over onto her cheeks – there was just so much going on, Yukito-san was finally awake… and then there was her trial - but Sakura held them resolutely in. Her makeup, her war paint, was already in place, and any tears would ruin its majestic effect immediately. Where she was going next, she couldn't afford to be anything less than perfect.

"Yukito-san," a deep voice said from next to her. "It is good that you are finally able to open your eyes. You must be tired though. Should I send for some water?"

Blue-gray pupils glanced gratefully up at the male standing next to her. "Arigatou, Syaoran-kun. That sounds very nice at the moment."

The small cup of clear liquid was next to him in less than a minute, and a small team of doctors began ushering the visitors out the door.

"Come," Syaoran said finally, turning to Sakura and offering her his hand. Her forced smile was much more of a grimace as she stood and followed him reluctantly away from Yukito-san's bedside. She hesitated by the door.

"Yukito-san?" she asked softly.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?" he murmured from behind the bustling people caring for him.

Sakura wasn't sure what to say. "I will come to see you later, okay?"

"Perhaps I will come see _you _later," he joked with praiseworthy energy. He knew her well.

"Okay," she said before leaving.

Amber eyes took in her nervous countenance. "Perhaps I shouldn't have let you see him after all. You're too jumpy."

"No," she said, shaking her head. Her hand found its way into his firm, reassuring grip and she let out a long sigh. "I'm so relieved that he's… that he's just alive. But, Syaoran… did you see how thin he was?"

"He lost quite a lot of blood, but the doctors here at the Academy are among the best. If they've deemed he will recover, then he will, and likely rather quickly. You have nothing to worry about. Even Mizushita's family…"

Mizushita was the name of the boy who had withstood four brutal slashes of Gaoran's blade, and had given his life trying to protect her. Sakura's head bowed slightly with the weight of the memory and guilt. "They forgave me… but I still… that boy _died_ for me, Syaoran! He _died_ defending me! How--" she struggled for the words to describe the desperation rising in her chest. "I don't… I wish-"

"Nothing is going to change the fact that he is gone, Sakura," he told her gently. "But Mizushita did not die for you to be tried for treason. Keep your head level. You have something very important hanging in the balance this morning."

Sakura glanced up at him nervously. "I thought you said you wouldn't let them do anything to me?"

Syaoran leaned down and pressed a warm kiss to her temple, his hands playing with the shortened strands of her hair. "I won't. I promise. By the way, I rather like this haircut of yours. You look very different – but nice. I do miss getting to run my hands through its length though."

The sudden change in subject made Sakura laugh a little, and a bit of the tension in her shoulders disappeared. "You… are horrible. How could you tease me about my boyish haircut right now?"

"You've never looked like a boy, not even when you were trying to act like one in the Academy," Syaoran grunted. Sakura glared up at him, knowing that he was still making fun of her. "Plus, no one could mistake you for a male today in _that_ getup."

Sakura blanched. "Yes, well, I wasn't the one who decided what ceremonial robes ought to look like. It's not my fault if you don't like them."

"You look beautiful and dignified," said Syaoran. "But you are what makes the clothes stunning. Don't slouch just because it's heavy, Sakura."

"I'm not even in front of all the nobles yet!" she protested, her face flaming at his sudden compliments. "I can slouch if I want to!"

He snorted.

When they reached the inner chamber of the building her trial would be taking place in, Sakura took a deep breath as Syaoran gave her hand one more squeeze and went into the room before her. Instantly, a couple maids rushed over to her and helped straighten out her extravagant clothing and touched up her face paint. Yelan-sama had probably arranged this last-minute freshen-up session for her. Sakura felt a stiffness paralyze her body, limbs, lungs, and all, and she didn't even remember to thank the attendants once they were finished.

Sakura shifted slightly as she stared at her reflection in the mirror they were holding up in front of her. It was as close to perfect as she was going to get, and for the first time, the young girl was truly glad to be wearing such formal attire. She was going to need to give the best impression possible. She didn't want to lose this.

There was a slight stirring among the many seated nobles in the room as the only daughter of the high-ranking Kinomoto family stepped gracefully into the room. On impulse, everyone rose to their feet in respectful greeting. That afternoon, she was the very picture of blue-blooded aristocracy, with her face painted beautifully and her lovely, colorful juni-hitoe flowing in vibrant layers around her. Even her hair, which was startlingly short, cropped to just above her shoulder, looked elegant when adorned with the many silver and jeweled hairpieces befitting a female of her rank.

Syaoran eyed his fiancée with growing pride. They had been very busy that week, renewing their engagement, this time as Li Syaoran and Kinomoto Sakura, making the arrangements for the many trials that would have to be held, and even extending a branch of peace to the South. Many people were nervous and unsure of what was going to happen. The tension had been so thick that Sakura had felt stifled.

There was no tension in this room, however, save for perhaps her own anxiety and the anxiousness of her friends. The nobles in the room looked mostly curious. She walked in, unescorted, and strode smoothly to the center of the room before flourishing a pretty bow. "Good evening, honored nobles of the court," she stated respectfully.

An elderly man at the front of the room waved his hand, and everyone but Sakura sat down once again.

"Kinomoto Sakura," he began, and Sakura gave a little nod. "You have been called here today on the charges of impersonating a male and entering the Elite Northern Military Academy. Are you aware of this?"

"Y-Yes." Sakura forced herself to remain composed. Rank and poise were her best weapons here. Emerald eyes rose to meet the judge's gaze in a level stare, but inside her knees were shaking. "I do not deny what you are accusing me of," she said clearly. Immediately, there were shocked whispers and small noises of disapproval, but the small female pressed on. "However, I do demand to know why I have been brought to court for it. I have committed no crime."

The judge's eyes flared. "Am I to understand that you were not aware that enrolling into the Northern Academy under false pretenses is a crime deserving of high punishment?"

Sakura felt her throat go dry with nervousness, but she kept her face expressionless. It was becoming easier to do so – constant contact with Syaoran was beginning to rub off on her. "No," she continued crisply. "But you have left out the significant factors, which demanded that my actions be carried through."

"Your reasons and excuses are of no consequence," the elderly male crackled irritably. He turned to the nobles sitting around him as witnesses. "That you have committed this crime is enough. As you have already given your confession, Kinomoto Sakura, we need hear no more."

Need hear no more? It was over? Sakura's heart plummeted. She'd messed up.

He continued, ignoring her silent agony down below. "As judge of this court, I-"

"As a noble lady of Japan and as the fiancée of the heir to the Li Clan, I believe that Kinomoto Sakura-sama has a right to speak," Yelan interrupted coldly. "Surely you are not denying her birthright, Seijirou-sama."

There was a startled silence. The man in question immediately turned purple. "Yelan-sama. Surely you do not suggest-"

"I was not aware that Kinomoto Sakura-sama was the fiancée of Li Syaoran," a large noble seated behind Sakura said. At his words, the muttering began once again.

"Silence," the judge rasped. "Yelan-sama, if you would please address Mirozuki-sama's statement."

"Kinomoto Sakura is engaged to my son, Li Syaoran, the heir to the Li Clan," Yelan stated lucidly. "There is no mistake, Mirozuki-sama."

"Oho!" someone sitting next to Mirozuki exclaimed. "The Li family certainly has been rather scandalous lately, hasn't it? Two of its main family members are being held under charges of treason and highest war crimes, and now we find that its future clan head's fiancée makes sport of dressing up as a _boy_ and playing around with them." The tall noble leaned forward and leered down at Sakura. "Tell me, Sakura-_sama_, how many of those boys have you _played_ with already?"

The various reactions of the people in the court erupted almost all at once. Sakura flushed a shocked red, and some of the nobles there chuckled mockingly. Others, however, had risen to their feet in indignation and Syaoran was the loudest of them all.

"You go too far, Sato-sama," he hissed coldly, eyes flashing dangerously. "You forget too quickly that the ones who brought those former main family members of mine to justice _was_ the Li Clan. I, myself, cut them off from our main household line, and I, myself, participated in their capture. If it were not for _our_ dedication to justice, it is likely that the North would still be participating in meaningless battles. _Your_ loyalties are a bit more questionable, I must say. But for now I shall not delve deeper into the forty fighting men of yours who all disappeared suddenly when the war began and then reappeared just as suddenly after my honored mother began her attack on all nobles supporting Gaoran and Dairan. How **dare** you speak to my fiancée in such a disrespectful tone?"

"That is enough, Li Syaoran-sama," Yamazaki's father said pacifyingly. "For now let us ignore Sato-sama's obvious lack of manners and decorum, and return to the matter at hand. I believe we were about to hear Kinomoto-sama explain her reasons for coming to the North."

"And disgracing our Elite Academy," someone snorted.

Sakura swallowed her apprehension and glanced over at Syaoran, who gave her an encouraging nod. Drawing a deep breath, she once again addressed the court. "As you are now aware, my late honored father and mother were assassinated nearly a year ago. I myself witnessed Gaoran murdering them, and I myself barely escaped with my own life. I came here to track him down and to demand that he answer for his crimes. During my investigation, I found out about his participation in orchestrating the war between the North and the South, and from then on I participated actively in ending the fighting. I did not hesitate to do all that I could, even if it required that I, as you said, illegally joined the Academy in order to do so."

"Kinomoto Sakura's presence in our Academy has been known since the very beginning, and she has been instrumental in the capture of the perpetrators of this war. It was she, along with my son, Syaoran, who defeated Gaoran, as am I sure you all know," Yelan declared loudly.

"This is indeed surprisingly," Andou's father mused loudly. "Who would have thought this gentle lady was capable of so much? Yamazaki-sama, you still remember that Kino Kura who took first place in the very first event of the competitions? Goodness, Kinomoto-sama, you are unmatched on horseback. Amusingly enough, I believe you're rather a credit to this Academy, aren't you? The finest female student it's ever had the honor of enrolling."

"Andou-sama!" someone protested loudly. "She is a woman!"

"A woman who gracefully defeated so many of our sons during the competitions," a large lady chortled heartily from the corner. "I heard from Yamato-sama that she was the first student in nearly two decades to be automatically raised to second rank after her entrance to the Academy. Very well done, Kinomoto-sama – very well done indeed."

Sakura flushed and bowed her head slightly.

"We did not come here to discuss how impressive Kinomoto Sakura was during her pretense in the Academy. We are here to discuss the fact that she _was_ indeed in the Academy, disguised as a male," the judge interrupted irritably. "Since we've all heard from her own lips that the accusations presented are true, then I believe we ought to move onto what proper punishment she should receive."

Her stomach did that uncomfortable somersault thing again.

"Yes," Yelan said, approvingly. "I propose that…" She turned to look down upon Sakura. "Kinomoto Sakura, for your cooperation in the capture of Li Gaoran and Dairan, even to the point of willingly entering into the intense and difficult training at the Academy, and for your assistance to many Northern noble families, I propose that we immediately present you with a badge of honor as a symbol of the gratitude of all the Northern people."

Several mouths dropped, but Andou's father seemed to find this both hilarious and pleasing. "I second that proposal!" he boomed cheerfully. "What do you think, Yamazaki-sama?"

The man's grin bore a startling resemblance to his son's. The head of the Yamazaki Clan smirked broadly and nodded. "I agree wholeheartedly with Yelan-sama."

The judge looked as if someone had just slapped him. "W-What do you mean to­-"

"I think we ought to give her more than simply _one_ badge of honor… the North really ought to do something more splendid in gratitude for all of her efforts. For such a beautiful and gentle lady to be put through so many hardships… look at her poor hair," a female voice cooed.

"The actions themselves were shameful, unbefitting of a lady of a rank," an elderly noble said from the side, shaking his head.

"What a sacrifice to make!"

"But still…"

"Kinomoto Sakura is guilty of a heavy crime!" Sakura's evaluator exclaimed, slamming his fist onto the wooden podium in front of him.

Syaoran's eyes narrowed. "She is also guilty of saving the North from making a terrible mistake, and her 'crime', as you so stubbornly put it, was made in order to cooperate with the North's plans. Are you intending to punish her for helping us in our time of need?"

"That is not…" Seijirou protested, the frustration clear on his face.

"I believe that we have heard all we need to hear from Sakura-sama now," Yelan said kindly down to her from the raised seating. "Why don't we allow her to go and rest? These have been very trying days for her, as I am sure you are all aware."

"Yes, I don't suppose there is any reason for her to be here during our deliberation," Seijirou agreed slowly, his eyes assessing Sakura calculatingly. Perhaps he felt that, without her presence in the room, the other nobles would be less merciful. "Kinomoto Sakura, you may take your leave."

Sakura bowed politely before exiting the room as gracefully as she could manage. Once outside though, she gasped in several breaths of much-needed fresh air. With a sigh, she sagged to the ground slightly, but did not quite reach the floor before she was hoisted up on either side by two pairs of strong arms.

Emerald eyes looked up, surprised.

"Andou! Yamazaki!" she exclaimed, startled. She looked around at the group of males surrounding her. "Everyone! What are you doing here?"

Kikumaru laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Well, the truth is we had wanted to come wish you good luck _before _the trial started, but um…"

"But this idiot here decided to botch things up by accidentally running into a teacher along the way-" Andou growled, reaching over and hitting Kikumaru over the head with a heavy fist.

"Which is why we were all late," Kudou finished, grinning.

Sakura blinked. "You are all skipping class? How…"

"Well a good three-fourths of them are at the trial anyways… and you remember that stand-in sensei who came in last November?" Yamazaki answered, grinning.

The auburn-haired female groaned. "You torture stand-in instructors so badly…"

"Well, all we did was ditch the lesson today, so they got off lucky. If Kikumaru hadn't accidentally run into Yue-sensei on the way… we were dragged back to class, but escaped quickly. Not that it matters anymore – how was it?" Andou asked anxiously. "What's the decision?"

She shook her head. "I was told to leave during their deliberation." When she saw the looks on their faces though, Sakura forced a laugh. "Don't worry guys," she said, smiling brightly at them. "Yelan-sama and Syaoran were defending me… and many of the other nobles didn't seem too stern, so I think it will be okay."

"It's just like you to try and comfort _us_ when you're probably the most worried of all," Andou grunted, taking her by the shoulders and steering her out of the hallway.

"Eh? Where are we going?" Sakura asked. "Hey wait! Don't walk so fast! This stupid outfit is really hard to walk in!" To be honest, she simply felt too exhausted for this at the moment, though she truly was happy that they had come to support her.

They laughed. "Kino... Sakura, I mean," Kikumaru quipped cheerfully. "We have a bit of a surprise for you. Yelan-sama said to have this ready for you by tomorrow, but we had it finished early. We figured you'd need the extra pick-me-up."

She looked over at him curiously. "What is it?"

"Surprise!" They yelled as soon as they had led her outside.

Sakura's cheeks reddened with delight as she sprang forward with surprising agility and threw her arms around her best friend. "Tomoyo-chan!' she squealed. "Oh my goodness! Why are you here? This is the best surprise ever!"

"Daidouji-san is… part of the surprise, I suppose," Andou said, chuckling. "But we couldn't exactly 'get her ready' within the week, could we?"

The amethyst eyed heiress laughed sweetly. "Take another look at the thing in my _hands_, Sakura-chan!"

Trial forgotten, Sakura released her female companion reluctantly and gazed down at the folded clothing she was carrying. "What is this?"

Tomoyo beamed at her. "See for yourself. I'm very happy to see you too."

Small hands picked up the soft, silky fabric and lifted it up so that she could see. Emerald eyes widened. "Wait," she murmured. "Isn't this…"

"That's right," Yamazaki said, grinning at her from the side. "Yelan-sama ordered us to have it specially made for you. It's the only female Academy uniform in the world. She said that you ought to have one, since you were a student, after all."

Sakura was embarrassed that she had to blink away tears. The tense knots of worry and frustration in her gut were uncoiling too quickly for her to handle the emotional upheaval. Her fingers clutched the soft cloth tightly and a genuine smile spread across her lips. Just thinking about her days as a student… she had been so happy then, running around with all the guys. Even though she'd been living a lie then… it had been such a happy lie. "Thank… you," she whispered.

"You are very welcome!" The group of males boomed loudly.

"I came here to support you during the trial too," Tomoyo added, giving her a small hug. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan. My mother and I stand by you no matter what. She's in there right now with the rest of the nobles."

Sakura hadn't noticed Daidouji Sonomi in the court earlier, but just knowing that there was one more person who was trying to defend her made her feel much better. There was a small, happy pause before Tomoyo gave out a loud shriek. "SAKURA-CHAN! Y-Y-Y-Your HAIR!!"

The boys sprang back, shocked and staring at Tomoyo as if a monster had just exploded out of her. Sakura was torn between the desire to flee and the desire to laugh at the expressions on their faces. Of course to them, such behavior from the beautiful and composed Daidouji heiress was shocking.

"Um… there's definitely a reason for this, Tomoyo-chan," she said nervously, backing away slowly, yet unable to mask the amusement on her face.

"Sakura," a deep voice called from behind. It was Syaoran. She turned and gazed back at him. He nodded. "It's time for the verdict. Come."

"Good luck, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo whispered encouragingly, though there was a frown on her face. "We can talk about your hair later."

"Knock them dead Kino! – I mean Sakura!" Andou yelled.

"Thank you guys," she said in a soft voice before shuffling quickly over to where her fiancé was waiting. He took her hand and led her inside.

"Don't worry, Sakura," Syaoran told her gently. "No matter what, things will be okay."

She swallowed nervously. "How did the deliberation go?"

Syaoran frowned. "Don't worry too much about that. In the end, the one who gives the verdict is that old fart Seijirou, so there isn't much we can do about it. Still, should the result be unfavorable, there is still the appeal, which will come down to a vote by the full court."

Sakura trembled slightly. "I still cannot believe that I was called into a trial by the full Northern noble court," she whispered. "What if even the appeal doesn't go well?"

"Don't think too deeply into it. We still don't know that Seijirou-sama won't cave and treat you decently. Sakura," he said suddenly, stopping. Sakura stopped and looked up at him.

"Yes?"

He pulled her into a tight hug and her eyes shut as she hugged him back. "Do not be scared. I am here," he murmured before letting go and sliding the door open.

The court had seemingly been engaged in serious, noisy conversation, but at their entrance, everyone fell quickly silent. It was all Sakura could do not to turn around and run for her life. "I have brought Kinomoto Sakura-sama," Syaoran declared.

"Thank you, Li Syaoran-sama," the judge said imperiously from his raised seat. "You may take your seat. Kinomoto Sakura, please step into the center of the room."

Syaoran said no more to her as they parted ways, and Sakura walked as calmly as she could back to her previous spot. Time seemed to pass far too slowly. She wanted to get this over with… and yet at the same time, she didn't want to hear the verdict at all. Weighed down by all of her ceremonial clothing and accessories, Sakura bowed low before slowly moving into an upright position and addressing the group of aristocrats. "I, Kinomoto Sakura, am ready to hear the verdict."

The deep creases of Seijirou-sama's wrinkles twitched slightly as he watched her. "As judge of this court, I hereby sentence you to a heavy fine for breaking the laws of the North and entering into the military Academy under a false name."

There was some slightly grumbling from the audience, but he was not finished yet. "Furthermore," the judge said loudly. "I issue that you must leave the North immediately and not cross the boundary into the North ever again. Despite your transgressions, we cannot simply ignore your position as a Southerner, and in order to preserve the peace, we will guarantee your dignity and safety back to your homeland."

Sakura's mouth would have dropped open in shock, but her tongue seemed glued to the top of her mouth. She was being exiled from the North – not that she was from the North anyways, but she would never be able to return? Her head felt like it was spinning. It was several second before she'd realized the entire room had erupted into a frenzy of shouting.

"I object!" Yelan exclaimed furiously, rising from her seat.

"Silence! Silence!" The judge shouted, slamming his hand against his podium. "I demand silence!"

"With the end to this war," the Academy's headmistress said, a dangerous edge to her voice. "The divide between the North and South is expected to end."

The protests were immediate. "We have not even fully come to peace with the Sou—"

"And such actions would only encourage more discord. Furthermore, Kinomoto Sakura is not merely a Southerner, she is the wife-to-be of the future head of the Li Clan, which, if you insist upon differentiating, is a Northern family. How do you expect her to marry my son if you restrict her to the other side of Japan?"

"I am afraid, Yelan-sama, that no matter how much you attempt to defend this girl, she had still slighted the laws of the North-"

"What law has she broken, except that which is under my jurisdiction?" the Chinese female demanded angrily. "I am the sole head of the Academy, which is an entity that stands by itself. I was not aware that you had control over even my school, Seijirou-sama."

"This court has made its decision!" the judge retorted hotly. "I do not mean to belittle your influence, Yelan-sama, but—"

"No, _you_ have made your decision," Yelan said dismissively. "Please be prepared to receive both the appeal and opposition of the Li Clan."

"Now, now. Let us not be so anxious, Yelan-sama," Eriol said chidingly from across the room. "There is no need to so swiftly make enemies. Let us give Seijirou-sama a few moments to think through his decision."

If nothing else good could be said for him, at the very least, Seijirou Houka was not a man easily swayed by fear. "I stand by what I said," he responded hotly. "It is my right to make this decision."

"Please do not be so apprehensive, Seijirou-sama," Eriol continued easily. "I only meant that you ought to take into account the fact that sentencing Sakura-sama to any sort of punishment would reflect very badly upon the North, especially since we begin formal peace negotiations with the South this evening, whether you approve of it or not. What more, you cannot deny that Sakura has assisted us in so many ways, despite the difficulties it forced her through. If you insist upon punishing her, then you must award _some_ of her efforts, at least."

"Whether you want to crown her princess or throw her a party is no concern of mine. That is not the purpose of this court, Hiiragizawa-sama," the judge answered curtly. "Nor is it my concern if we begin negotiations tonight or in a decade. The purpose of this court is to determine whether Kinomoto Sakura is guilty, which she is, and then to hand out appropriate punishment. Given her difficult position, I have already lightened the sentence accordingly. Surely you can have no other objection?"

Daidouji Sonomi let out a great sigh from the back corner of the room. "I am sure you will be hearing from many noble families in the future, Seijirou-sama. I had not realized you were a judge so stubborn and foolish to give no thought to the position of both the accused as well as to the overall political situation of your nation."

At his words, the elderly male turned purple once again. Below them all, Sakura wondered what on earth had been the point of her leaving for the deliberation before if they were still arguing. What had they spent those twenty minutes doing anyways? It seemed strange. Before, she had nearly been dying of nervousness just waiting for the verdict, but now that it had been given, she felt quite detached. Perhaps it was because there was nothing she could do about it now? Well, she could hope it would get better of course, but there was little that _she_ could do but watch on at the moment.

"If you still insist upon these… _punishments_," Syaoran spat out the last word as if it were a curse word. "Then as my honored mother said, you ought to prepare yourself, Seijirou-sama. My clan will not rest until my fiancée is once again by my side."

Sakura felt like an absolute idiot, but she could not help the small smile that spread across her lips at his comforting words. Inwardly, she wondered what would happen if it came down to a vote.

Emerald eyes stole a quick glance around at the faces of the nobles seated above her. At the moment, all of them were scowling, but if she remembered correctly, some of them seemed to think favorably of her.

"We do not have the time for this," Yamazaki's father broke in suddenly. "Why not hold the appeal now? Tomorrow we hold the trial for Dairan, and the day after they trial for Gaoran. Tonight, we begin negotiations with the South. I say that we hold Kinomoto-sama's appeal now. Who would like to go first?"

"First?" someone echoed..

Andou's father laughed boomingly. "Well, in case the first appeal does not pass through, I'm sure there are many other noble families willing to appeal on behalf of Kinomoto-sama. The Andou family, for example, is one."

"Yes," Yelan-sama said, nodding. "I agree. This way is much better. I believe that my clan ought to be first then. Seijirou-sama?"

The old judge scowled. "Yes?"

"The Li Clan requests to make an appeal to the decision that was previously made in this court."

His expression grew tired and he sighed in a sort of defeated way before nodding. "Permission granted. Yelan-sama, you hold the floor."

The entire court, as well as Sakura, turned to the Academy's headmistress respectfully. The young female felt like a spectator in her own trial.

"As head of the Li Clan, I propose a complete reversal of the sentence given Kinomoto Sakura this day on the grounds that punishment for breaking Academy rules is determined by the Academy, as well as on the grounds that Sakura-sama acted in accordance with the North's requests. We ought to be expressing our eternal gratitude to her, not delivering punishments as if she were a criminal."

"A vote then," Seijirou said dryly. "All in favor of accepting Yelan-sama's proposition, please stand."

The results were immediate and obvious. Sakura did not even need to count to see that over a good three-fourths of the room was on its feet immediately.

The judge glowered down at her before sighing. "Members of the court, please be seated. Kinomoto Sakura-sama," he said to her, for the first time adding the suffix of respect to her name. "The full Northern court has moved to accept the appeal. I hereby reverse the formerly stated sentence, and grant you complete amnesty for your crimes. This court is adjourned." He stood to his feet and moved to exit the room.

Everyone else began shuffling after him, some of them throwing her dark looks, others grinning at her, and still others gazing over curiously. It meant little to Sakura – she was could stay! When Judge Seijirou reached the door and pulled it open, there was a loud crash as a group of students (who had obviously been listening in) all fell to the floor in surprise.

There was momentary silence before a furious Yue stalked directly over to glare down at them. "Andou, Yamazaki, Kikumaru, Kudou… all of you! How _dare_ you listen at doors – and especially _this_ door!" They were all on their feet instantly, bowing and apologizing and moving to the side so that the judge and the rest of the nobles could pass through.

Sakura had to hide a smile. After everyone but Syaoran, Eriol, their friends, Yue, and she had exited, Sakura ran swiftly to their side and looked sheepishly up at her former teacher. "Gomen nasai, Yue-sensei," she murmured. "They only came here to cheer me on."

The tall male sighed. "Yes, I realize that - Kinomoto," he said suddenly, causing her to jump

"Y-Yes!" she responded quickly.

"Would you like to observe their lessons today?" he asked, brushing past his students and heading towards the exit.

It took Sakura several second before she understood what he was saying. "Oh! Yes! I would!" she gasped, running to catch up with him, the others trailing behind them, chuckling.

That evening, she and Syaoran celebrated the conclusion of her trial with much sake under the stars. How they ended up in that particular position, Sakura didn't remember, but when morning came, Sakura found herself curled up comfortably against her fiancé's chest, a large blanket wrapped around the both of them to keep them warm. Her cheeks stung slightly with the cold of the late Spring air, but Sakura was contented to simply snuggle against Syaoran, who looked very peaceful and innocent in his sleep.

--

**Tsuzuku…**

--

**I apologize one more time for being late, but this court scene was rather grueling to write. Long too. /**

**Thirty six down… and two more to go! Technically, the next chapter will be the "last" of the story, but for those who have read my stories before, you will know that I have a habit of writing one more "special" chapter as a sort of thank you to all of my readers. I'm not certain whether or not I will actually be posting one for this story, but if you tempt me with enough reviews, I'll seriously consider it. We're on the second to last chapter already! If you haven't reviewed yet, now would be the time to start! **

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Gomen nasai – I'm sorry.


	37. Home

**Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is strictly property of CLAMP.**

**THANK YOU to Nara-chan for another **_**beautifully**_** BETA-ed chapter… honestly, none of you have any idea how many more weeks you'd all be waiting if she weren't here checking up on all of my mistakes. You rock, my dear. **

**Thank you all once again for your kindness and patience. I know that readers really don't pay attention when authors hound for reviews, but we only do so because reviews truly make a difference, to me at least. I want to thank all of my reviewing readers (and normal readers too, I suppose ;D), for sticking with me through THIRTY SEVEN chapters… and I know that my chapters get progressively longer. Reviews fuel my passion for writing – there's little pleasure derived from writing simply for yourself. Thank you all for the encouragement. It really kept me from running away (which I was tempted to do multiple times).**

**The plot is underdeveloped, the research is lacking, and there are more errors than I can count, but I had fun writing this story for you all, and I'm glad that most of you seem to have enjoyed reading it as well. This is the last official chapter… a special may or may not be in the making, but I suppose there is no better way to bribe for reviews than with an extra chapter. Haha. **

**I'm growing a lot, as those who've read my previous works can obviously see. Thanks for sticking with me through it all. **

**--**

**Inscribed in the Blade**

--

**Chapter Thirty Seven**

--

While getting to watch all of her friends, including Eriol and Syaoran go through their daily lessons and even occasionally (when she was in Terada-sensei's class) participating was a nice change, the rest of her days were filled with unpleasant things.

The evening after her trial, Sakura had been asked to attend the peace meeting, since her position as a high-ranking lady of the South might prove helpful in smoothing some disagreements. The meeting did not go very well. The Southerners treated the negotiation with a great deal of suspicion, as was expected, but also with a great deal of scorn and distaste. They held the North responsible, and wanted full reparations to be made.

To her, most of the delegates that had been sent there were polite and courteous, but advised her strongly to return home as soon as possible, where it was safe. "Peace was an admirable cause to strive for," they'd told her. "But details were best left to those who didn't mind shouldering the weight of politics."

One of the nobles who'd come to meet with the Northerners had even been a former suitor of hers. Former, because she was currently engaged to Syaoran, but the hot-blooded male had inquired as to whether her brother had fully given his approval, to which she had to answer a reluctant "no", and had been satisfied with that. He had also wanted her to go home, where she could remain "chaste". Sakura had to try very, very hard not to pull Shirobana out on him. Syaoran had already begun planning the downfall of the unfortunate boy's clan. That meeting had not been a good meeting either.

Even while she was merely going about her days at the Academy, the moments felt filled with tension. On one hand, she was enjoying her freedom and company of her former classmates and Tomoyo. On the other hand, the looming darkness of the unsettled peace was heavy. Though Dairan and Gaoran's trials passed swiftly without much trouble, Sakura's heart had squeezed with painful tightness when Yelan-sama had to hide her face behind her fan at the announcement of the death penalties.

Honestly, none of them, not even their mother, had wished the two criminals a greater fate at that point, but still, it must have been beyond painful for a mother to sit by and say nothing during the execution. Sakura could not help but wonder which was worse, waking to find your parents murdered in cold blood, or sitting by and watching one son commit seppuku while the other couldn't bear to carry out the deed himself and had his head lopped off. Hearts were heavy. Relief had been intermingled with grief.

Yelan had cried. Sakura had been unable to swallow a few stray tears. Syaoran managed to make it back to the dojo before crumbling into her arms and wetting the shoulder of her kimono. Syaoran's tears were a silent affair, and Sakura had at first thought he seemed rather dignified when he cried, but when bloodshot eyes and a somber mouth, which seemed permanently creased into a terribly sad frown lifted up and met her gaze, Sakura had burst into tears just seeing his expression. There was much hugging and soothing and gentle, encouraging whispers that followed. Sakura wrapped her arms around him and cooed a soft melody into his ear until he fell asleep that night. He had never before seemed so vulnerable as then, and Sakura wished more than anything to be able to take the pain away.

And all the while, the unceasing (which in of itself was supposed to be a good sign) peace negotiations with the South continued to go badly. Both Sakura and Syaoran returned late at night, and the concerned creases on the faces of all the teachers and nobles could be seen. It should be made clear that the Japanese people are a proud people, and the South, which had been blamed and fought against, demanded nothing short of the humblest apology from the North as well as some financial and political benefits. Less than a handful of Northern nobles were willing to even consider writing a formal letter of apology to the South. They were, after all, adamant that the cause of the war did not truly lie with _them_.

Sakura felt her anxiety rise as a month and then another passed by and still nothing changed. What had they fought so hard for? Was diplomacy and pride really going to get in the way of all of their efforts? Eriol and Yue were doing their best, negotiating with the representatives that were sent up to the North, and yet they seemed to be at a deadlock.

Emerald eyes glared restlessly at the building where she knew Syaoran, Eriol, and several other Northern nobles were talking with the Southern representatives. Where they ever going to get anything done?

"Kinomoto-sama," a soft voice murmured from behind her. Sakura turned around in surprise to see a servant girl bowing to her.

"Yes? Is there something you needed?" she asked kindly.

"Please excuse me for interrupting your thoughts," the girl said politely. "Yelan-sama is summoning you to her chambers."

Sakura nodded. "Thank you. That will be all."

"Hai, Kinomoto-sama."

She maneuvered through the familiar pathways and corners of the Academy easily, smiling and bowing slightly at several of the students and teachers she recognized along the way. It was a bright morning, and despite the unchanging, overall gloom, Sakura felt her spirits lighten slightly. She was no longer a fugitive or a liar. She was Kinomoto Sakura, and the Academy was becoming her new home. A stray thought of her old home in the South, where her older brother was, likely working just as hard as everyone here to achieve peace, crossed her mind, but Sakura did not have much time to dwell on it as the doors to her future mother-in-law's rooms opened.

"Yelan-sama, you summoned me?"

"Sakura-san," the headmistress addressed the younger female from her seat.

"Yelan-sama," Sakura said with a little bow. "Is there something that you needed me for?"

Dark eyes surveyed her silently from under thick lashes. The Chinese mother sighed and leaned forward slightly. "I am sure, as you are heavily involved with the negotiations currently underway, that you are aware of how bleak the situation seems."

Sakura nodded in grim acknowledgement. "I am aware, Yelan-sama."

Yelan pursed her lips. "Then I am sure you will understand why I must take the actions I will now take. I must apologize to your first, Sakura-san. You are my esteemed future daughter-in-law, and the child of an old family friend. I had wanted a nice, forthright wedding for you and my son, but I'm afraid that with the current situation, it seems impossible."

The young girl faltered for a moment, at a loss. "Yelan-sama… I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean," she said slowly. Surely she wasn't suggesting that their marriage be cancelled? How would calling the wedding off help the situation at all? Sakura couldn't understand.

"I have arranged for two carriages, so I would like for you to pack your belongings immediately," Yelan said seriously. "We do not have very much time."

"Where will I be going?" Sakura asked in a small voice.

The older female took one look at the distraught expression on her future daughter's face and smiled. "Please do not look so alarmed, Sakura-san. We will merely be making a trip your home in the South."

Sakura could not see how this was comforting. "I am going home?"

"_We_, my dear, we. Tomorrow morning, my family and I will be departing with you to the South in order to formally hold your engagement ceremony with Syaoran. It is tradition that the groom's family must meet with the bride's to ask permission after all," she explained.

She released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "But what did you mean when you said it was impossible for us to have a straightforward wedding?" Sakura asked, relieved.

Yelan sighed once again. "I only meant that this trip will have to be just as much a political maneuver as it will be a personal visit. I had hoped that it would be otherwise. However, I believe that widespread news of your engagement will help in securing peace for both the North and the South. Your union will be seen by all of Japan as a political marriage."

--

Sakura felt a jolt of panic surge through her as once again the sounds of shouting men and upset horses shook the carriage. How many times had it been already? Three? The door was wrenched open and a hand reached in to pull her out. Syaoran swatted it away and stepped out of the vehicle first, and Sakura followed closely behind. Men who looked ready to pounce on her fiancé moments before, hesitated when they saw that she was accompanying him.

"The North must think highly of itself," the leader of the group spat, pulling out his sword. "Do you think that just because you're trying to call truce now that we'll let you just trounce around our land as if you're a noble of our own? How many family members do you think I've lost, boy?" He was speaking to Syaoran, and the tip of the man's sword was now pointed at him. "I don't trust you. I don't trust the lot of you!"

The young female swallowed a heavy sigh and looked nervously over to the next carriage. If it came down to a fight, she and Syaoran would more than likely be able to take care of themselves, but Syaoran's mother and sisters…The Kinomoto estate was close, and surely Touya knew that they were coming? Why hadn't he sent an escort for them yet? It was getting more and more difficult to reason with the people, and if things became ugly, bloodshed was not too impossible a conclusion. She was only glad that they hadn't searched their belongings yet. The valuables that were brought as a bride price would turn anyone's head.

"You will cease this nonsense immediately," Sakura broke in coolly, stepping forward. Syaoran's eyes watched her carefully, ready to intervene should things take a bad turn. As they spoke, Yelan-sama and her daughters were stepping out of the second carriage.

"And who do you think _you_ are to be bossing _me_ around?" their assaulter hollered loudly. "I don't follow Northern nobles."

Sakura's gaze softened as she surveyed the group of men before her. They were farmers, and by the looks of it, they were poor and had several heavy injuries. Their villages had likely become involved in the fighting. Only the leader had a sword, the rest were armed with shovels and picks. The man standing before her looked barely forty, and yet the grayness was already showing in his hair and the tough, tanned skin of his arms was cut up with new-looking scars, sword scars.

"I am Kinomoto Sakura, of the Kinomoto noble family, a Southerner," she said placidly. "Please do not be alarmed. I am merely going home to see my brother."

At her explanation, some of the men began to mutter amongst themselves, and yet the suspicious look in their eyes did not fade. Honestly, she couldn't really blame them.

"Why are you in a Northern carriage, Kinomoto-sama – if that's who you really are," a loud youth sneered sarcastically from the side.

"You will let me pass, boy," she answered, undaunted. "And you will show me more respect. If you need proof of who I am, then merely look at this."

Sakura held out a signet badge, one of pure gold and a Nadeshiko carved onto it. It was the symbol of the Kinomoto Clan. Chances were that none of the farmers would recognize it, but her own confidence would have to convince them. "My family has suffered no fewer losses than yours in this war," she continued, a bit colder. "My reasons for traveling and whom I travel with are none of your business. I am going home. Those who dare stand in my way will pay dearly for it."

The men scowled, but the one in charge put up his hand to silence the others. "How many girls in Japan do you think have auburn hair and green eyes?" he asked firmly. "She is the Kinomoto princess. Kinomoto-sama, I do not object to your traveling through your own land, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask who the rest of these people are." He motioned towards the Li family members and their servants. "You crossed with them through the border?"

"I had not realized that the members of the Kinomoto Clan have fallen so low in your esteem. They are guests at my estate," Sakura answered with a frown.

"Motsu! They're carrying jewelry and enough money to buy… entire villages with them!" A male voice called from behind a carriage.

Sakura's blood turned cold. "You dare lay a hand on my belongings?" she hissed. "When the Kinomoto Clan has already done so much to help the villages in this area?"

"How many cartloads of rice can it buy?" the man named Motsu asked curiously.

Her heart grew faint and from the corner of her eye, Sakura could see Syaoran's hand edge closer to the hilt of his sword. There was no need, however. Just at that moment, the sound of pounding hooves began rumbling the ground and within mere seconds a small group of soldiers bearing the Kinomoto Clan insignia arrived. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief.

One man dismounted and rushed quickly over to her side while the rest rebuked the crowd of villagers and pushed them back. Sakura smiled at him, despite her irritation. "Sousuke, you are late."

Her faithful servant bowed, smiling warmly back at her. "I apologize, mistress. I'm afraid that we were delayed by some bandits along the way."

She shook her head in relief. "Never mind then. Please escort us back to the estate immediately. Onii-chan must be waiting."

"Hai, Sakura-sama."

Sakura smiled at Syaoran. "Really, I thought that it would actually come to fighting this time."

"There are some strong feelings of resentment against the North here in the South," he observed, watching the grumbling and glaring villagers turn to leave. "It is to be expected though."

They were back at the main house by noon, and Sakura was surprised to see so many carriages lined up near the entrance. Leaning out the window, she called over to Sousuke, "Sousuke, why are there so many people here? Isn't that Matsura-sama's carriage? And Ohjii-sama's too!"

The horses pulled to a gradual stop in front of the main building. Sousuke opened the door and reached in to assist her out, but Syaoran waved him to the side and got off first, offering Sakura his hand instead. She smiled at the tiny action of possessiveness. "What a gentleman," she teased him softly as she dismounted the short steps.

"To answer your question, Sakura-sama, the Southern nobles have all been informed of your return, and many representatives from the various families have been sent here to welcome you home. Your achievements have been widely spread among our people, and most have come to offer you and your honored brother their condolences for the passing of your honored parents as well as to see with their own eyes your safety," her manservant explained as they ascended the steps.

She frowned slightly. Was this part of the plan? "Onii-chan knows that we're here for my engagement ceremony doesn't he, Yelan-sama?" Sakura asked her soon to be mother-in-law.

"He is aware, but I doubt the other nobles are," the Chinese noble answered with a small smile. "This is for better impact. I am sure that you are aware what kind of disturbance my family's presence here will cause. That is exactly what I want. We must achieve this peace by any means."

Syaoran took hold of her hand and gave it a slight squeeze before letting go as they approached the entrance. Sousuke nodded to the servants at the doors who bowed and opened them up, announcing their arrival. A soft wave of nostalgia washed over Sakura as she stepped into the home she hadn't seen in nearly a year. The maids and servants lined up on either side the hall and bowed, echoing "Welcome home, Sakura-sama."

Instantly, the sound of swiftly moving footsteps could be heard as her brother appeared from around the corner and rushed as quickly over to her as he could while still seeming respectable. "Sakura," he muttered before pulling her into a swift hug. "I'm glad you're safe," he whispered before drawing away as the rest of the nobles rounded the corner as well. Touya straightened and announced to them, "My honored guests, Kinomoto Sakura, my younger sister, has returned home."

The soft pad of feet on wood ceased as the group of familiar aristocrats came to a stop in front of them. The torrent of polite condolences began.

"Kinomoto-sama!"

"Sakura-sama!"

"Thank the heavens that you have returned safely."

"On behalf of all of our families, I want to offer you our condolences for your many grievances. Please do not be concerned, we of the South will all be sure to avenge your honored parents' assassinations. Please be at ease now that you are at home."

Sakura smiled nervously and bowed. "I thank you all for coming all the way here to welcome me home."

"Sakura-sama, I cannot express how happy and relieved we are that you are finally here and safe. If there is anything we can do in order to help you, please let us know."

It was several minutes of rushed speaking before any of them took note of the rest of her party. It was Amamiya-jiisama, her grandfather from her mother's side who noticed. He paused and looked at the small group of Chinese nobles with grave surprise. "Li Yelan-sama," he said with recognition.

The Academy's headmistress nodded politely. The others were openly staring with… Sakura could not tell whether they were more mortified or confused – perhaps it was a combination of both.

Sakura sucked in a deep breath. "How rude of me, please allow me to introduce all of my honored guests. The Li family of the North: Li Yelan-sama, Li Syaoran-sama, Li Fuutie-sama, Li Feimei-sama, Li Fanren-sama, and Li Shiefa-sama."

By then, all of the nobles there had already recognized the name of the famous Northern family and had fallen silent, bewildered and slightly suspicious. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do, but when Sakura's grandfather bowed slightly in respect, they all followed suit. It was not a difficult decision to make. Northern though the Li family might be, the regal air Li Yelan had about her made not paying her at least the most basic respects unthinkable.

"Sakura-san," her grandfather turned to her solemnly. "May I ask why the Li family has accompanied you here from the North?"

She bowed to her grandfather before turning to Syaoran's mother. Yelan nodded at her and stepped forward, bowing towards Touya. "Kinomoto-sama, I am here today to confirm the engagement of your younger sister, Kinomoto Sakura, to my son and heir, Li Syaoran."

Touya bowed deeply in response, ignoring the looks of shock and horror on the other's faces. "This is truly an honor, Yelan-sama. The Kinomoto family is delighted by your presence in our house. Please, if you would follow me inside."

It was impossible to ignore the sullen, uncomfortable silence as the well-sized group walked down the hall towards the ceremonial guest room, and while Sakura wished desperately to stand next to Syaoran and to draw some comfort from his strength, she knew it would be wiser not to infuriate the nobles who had come to see her. She could feel their eyes on her, demanding to know why and how any of this was occurring.

The cold objection on her grandfather's face was mirrored on the expressions of the other guests' faces as they sat down to discuss the matter at hand. "Kinomoto-sama," one man said, turning to her brother suddenly. "I demand to know the meaning of this. Why is your sister getting engaged to a Northerner?"

Touya did not falter and instead met him gaze for gaze. "Mashiro-sama, I do not understand the nature of your disapproval. In my opinion, there is no man more fit than the heir of the Li family to betroth my precious sister to."

"Wha—" Mashiro-sama sputtered indignantly. "I-Is not the Li family responsible for all of the fighting that has occurred?! I demand a proper explanation. I am well aware that you are trying very hard to establish peace between our two rivaling sides, an effort I recognize and respect, but for you to sacrifice even Sakura-sama, whom we have all watched grow up beautifully, for something like that—"

"Something like what?" Touya interrupted sharply. There was an abrupt quiet as the new leader of the Kinomoto Clan glared at his bold guest.

"Please do not become so upset on my Clan's behalf, Kinomoto-sama," Yelan-sama said smoothly. "I will address the complaints of Mashiro-sama, since I am almost certain that everyone else present thinks similarly as well."

Amamiya-jiisama inclined his head slightly. "Please, Yelan-sama, while I do request an explanation, I certainly mean no disrespect to your person. It is true that recent events have caused me to become extremely concerned, but I hold you in the highest respect."

The noble who had so rudely burst out with demands before, turned red. "O-Of course, I meant no disrespect as well."

"Li Gaoran and Li Dairan, recently arrested on charges of war crimes, have been disowned by the Li Clan. They and my family, other than the unchangeable blood tie, have had no ties since even before their death penalty was announced. In fact, it was under my orders that their investigation and arrest was carried out," she explained seriously. "Though they are from the North, most of the nobles in the North were not in any way involved in their plotting. Therefore, we of the North are doing our best to make amends. With so many nobles' opinions to consider, however, it has been difficult to establish conclusive results."

There was an awkward pause at these words. Those in the room all knew that it was the South who was making peace agreements difficult to establish. Of course, all of them refused to admit that they were mistaken, but it was still an uncomfortable reminder. "I-I see," one noble stammered, nodding in an official sort of way.

"Surely you have no other reasons to think lowly of the Li Clan, Mashiro-sama," Touya said, unable to keep a slightly smirk off of his face.

"I-I would not dare—" he protested.

Another one of the nobles frowned but nodded. "You are quite serious then, Kinomoto-sama. You mean to have young Sakura-sama marry Li Syaoran-sama."

"Of course I am," he responded without hesitation.

Yelan turned to one of her maids and nodded. "Please bring it in," she ordered.

The procession of jewels, gold, precious cloths, and other tokens was long indeed. "This is the bride price we have brought with us. Only a small portion of course; more gifts will be sent over the period of this year," Yelan explained calmly, not batting an eyelash at the expensive treasures being carried in front of her.

Sakura winced. Was pure show of money to overpower the nobles a part of the plan too? If so, she mused, it was probably working rather well. Several jaws were already hanging, a thing almost unseen among the composed nobility of Japan.

Yelan bowed low, her hands folded neatly before her. "As head of the Li Clan, I, Li Yelan, request permission for my son, Li Syaoran, to take your sister, Kinomoto Sakura-sama's, hand in marriage."

Sakura had been silent and anxious throughout the entire process, but at those words, a happy blush spread across her cheeks. The slight color did not go unnoticed by some of the others in the room. Syaoran smirked at her from across the room and she looked away with a pointed pout. Her grandfather scowled.

Touya rolled his eyes slightly before bowing as well. "I entrust my sister's future into your family's hands, Yelan-sama."

--

"It's not _quite_ as large as the Academy," Sakura giggled as they walked around her home, showing Syaoran around. "But the garden gets pretty close. Of course we don't have a _forest_ of Sakura trees, but we do have quite a few. It's too bad they're no longer in season."

"You have a very nice house," he complimented politely, a slightly saucy grin on his face. "I particularly liked your training rooms. They are very well kept."

She nodded as they moved towards her wing of the estate. "Everyone in the family but my mother practiced some form of martial arts; we're rather famous for it, actually. At least, my father was." The past tense "was" held a bit solemnly in the air, but Sakura pressed on swiftly, refusing to be gloomy. "Did you want to go visit anyplace else?"

Amber eyes gazed down at her softly. "I want to see where you usually spent your days. Or were you at finishing school much of the time?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Finishing school? How on earth do you suppose I ever got my hands on a sword? Of course I was tutored at home; my mother was both graceful _and_ wise, and she was my teacher."

"It's a shame not all of her traits rubbed off on you," he commented, smirking.

She sniffed and headed outside to where the stables were. "If you _must_ know, I spent most of my time on horseback, with Kero-chan. We visited the local villages and marketplaces a lot, and I even taught some archery to the children sometimes."

"Oh? It's a good thing that I brought LeiFeng with me then," he said, eyebrows raised.

Sakura looked over at him questioningly. "You want to go riding right now?"

He smirked. "I told you I wanted to see what sort of things you did at home, didn't I? I want to understand what sort of world you come from."

Sakura looked away slightly, for some reason not quite happy. It was strange, since he was being thoughtful. "It's not so different from the world you come from…"

Amber eyes narrowed. "Are you alright, Sakura?"

She nodded. "Yes, I suppose so." Inwardly, Sakura thought it was a good chance to go out and relive her former life a bit too. Even though it wasn't as if she would never get to come back to the Kinomoto estate, but she doubted that visits back here would be often. It felt so _good_ to be home – yet strange. It made her just a little frustrated.

As they rode out into the local areas and greeted the people there, however, Sakura felt some of her gloom disappear. Since Yelan-sama was visiting, most of the nobles had decided to commence an impromptu discussion about the future relationship between the North and the South. It was not technically a peace meeting, per se, but everyone knew that possible peace very much depended upon the outcome. It was the entire reason they'd made such a very big deal about the engagement ceremony, after all.

But the sight of a flustered Syaoran trying to interact with curious children was extremely effective in driving her worry away. They'd brought baskets of apples out with them from the estate to hand out.

The Li heir handed a small girl an apple. "Here," he said stiffly. "An apple for you, girl."

Sakura laughed and dismounted, going over to his side. "You can't talk to children as if you're about to drag them to some serious diplomatic conference," she chided gently, beaming at the small female and nodding encouragingly at her. "You have to smile and be friendly."

Syaoran eyed her skeptically. Sakura sighed and picked up another piece of fruit, handing it to the girl's younger brother. "These apples are really sweet; I'm sure you'll like them," she told him kindly, beaming at him cheerfully.

Big brown eyes watched her silently for a few seconds before a large smile broke across the boy's face. Sakura could not help but giggle at the missing tooth in the middle of his grin and next to her, she could feel Syaoran's shoulders shake slightly with his contained amusement. "Why don't you just go ahead and laugh?" she teased. "You might scare away fewer kids that way."

He glared at her, but the ghost of a grin was on his lips as they continued handing out food. Sakura felt her heart warm slightly. It made all the difference.

"Onii-chan! Onee-chan! Arigatou!" the children called out gleefully.

"Oh? Isn't that nice? You're an 'onii-chan' now," Sakura giggled.

Syaoran sighed and stood up straight. "All this leaning over for small people is more trouble than I thought."

"That's just because you're too tall," she answered cheekily.

"Taller than you at any rate," he responded, a smirk on his face.

"Ah! Look! Look!" one girl pointed at the two of them. "Onii-chan is teasing Onee-chan! I bet he likes her!"

Sakura blushed while Syaoran smirked. "Oh? And what makes you say that?" he asked, leaning down once again and staring at the small female.

"You do, don't you?" she protested hotly, hands on her hips. "I see the way you look at Onee-chan! You don't smile at us, but you smile at her! Plus, my mommy says that when a boy teases a girl it means that he likes her!"

By then a small crowd of children had gathered around, all of them staring expectantly at Syaoran. Sakura's giggles were muffled by her hand as she looked on. She was curious as to how he would react to the small child's declaration. She'd seen him interact with the children of other nobles, but all of those children had been taught to respect the heir of the Li Clan. These small people looked so strikingly different from him, their rags to his expensive robes, their bright, childlike faces to his stoic expression that Sakura wondered if he would be able to hold his own against them. "Do you need me to rescue you?" she asked mischievously.

"I've got this covered," he answered her with a growl. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand and pulled her over to his side.

"You wouldn't," she said, pointing a finger up at him.

Syaoran smirked. "Oh, but I would." Bending over, he placed a chaste kiss on her cheek before looking back down at the girl who was staring at them, jaw hanging open.

"Y-Y-You kissed her!" she squeaked.

"Yes, I did," he answered smugly.

"So you _do_ like her!!" the children chimed excitedly. All of them blushing and looking at each other as if something forbidden had just occurred.

Syaoran's normally stern expression was much more relaxed than usual, and to Sakura's surprise, he chuckled softly. He smirked at their audience as well. "No, you're wrong. I _love_ her."

And that was that, Sakura realized, as the children began chattering excitedly. The strange guilt she had felt every time she began to recognize the Academy as her home, the odd confusion she'd felt since coming back to the south, both evaporated as comprehension dawned upon her. Some of the parents who'd been watching from the side were smiling and laughing as well, but none of that mattered very much to her at all. She finally understood. A part of her would always miss her old home, but she had a new home now, and it more than made up for all that she had lost.

She intertwined her fingers with his. What was home? It was where her heart was. And come what may, she'd always be her home's side - his side.

Sakura gazed up at him happily and he rolled his eyes. "What is it? You look as if you're plotting something. I'm warning you now that, whatever it is, it isn't a very good idea."

"I am not _plotting_ anything," she huffed, but continued to giggle. "I was just thinking that I like my new home a lot."

"Your new home?" Syaoran asked, eyebrows raised. "You mean the Academy?"

"If that's where you are," She buried her face in his shoulder.

"Is your home where I am?" he asked softly.

"My home is where my love is," she murmured.

--

**Owari**

--

**First of all, I want to thank everyone who has read my story from start to finish. I know that thirty six chapters is LONG, and that you would all accompany me through every single one… it's truly been an honor and a pleasure.**

**Okay, for all of you freaking out saying "That's the end?! That's the end?!", technically yes, it **_**is**_** the end of my story. However, there will be one more chapter coming up – I think, depending on how much all of you want it. For those who've read my previous stories on my previous account you should know that I have a habit of writing a "Special" chapter (unless I flake out, which isn't unheard of) after the end of the story. **

**I already have a vague idea of what I want to write, but I won't bother unless you guys want it. ;D You know what you got to do. After thirty-six chapters, if you haven't reviewed yet, I think it's about time you should!**

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onee-chan – older sister

onii-chan – older brother

arigatou- thank you


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